Products Liability Insurance protects the business from claims related to the manufacture or sale of products such as food, medicines or other goods to the public. It covers the manufacturer’s or seller’s liability for losses or injuries to a buyer, user or bystander caused by a defect or malfunction of the product, and, in some instances, a defective design or a failure to warn.
There are generally three types of products “claims” a company may face:
- Manufacturing or Production Flaws- A claim that some part of the production process created an unreasonably unsafe defect in the resulting product. Recent claims against Chinese manufacturers regarding the presence of dangerous chemicals in their products are an example of this type of claim.
- Design Defect – A claim that the design of the product is inherently unsafe. The most memorable example is the series of Pinto car cases against Ford in the 1970’s.
- Defective Warnings or Instructions – The claim that the product was not properly labelled or had insufficient warnings for the consumer to understand the risk. The McDonald’s “coffee case” is an example.
The damages awarded in these claims include medical costs, compensatory damages, economic damages, and, in some instances, attorneys’ fees, costs and punitive damages. Products liability claims can and do put businesses out of business.