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Product liability has come to the forefront again,
thanks in large part to such high visibility cases
as the Ford/Firestone debacle. Regulators have
begun to establish laws defining and governing
corporate criminalization. These laws would criminalize
the manufacture and distribution of defective
products and make corporate officers and directors
accountable.
Currently, most laws only apply to motor vehicle
manufacturers; however, similar legislation is
likely to be expanded to other industries.
Companies can minimize their criminal and civil
liability exposures by:
- Documenting the design
process
- Implementing the recognized
quality assurance standard (ISO 9000)
- Reporting specific situations
to the proper government agency.
Manufacturers and distributors will need to
be certain they are compliant with product defect
reporting requirements. They should also be
certain to maintain appropriate products liability
coverage. We’d be glad to review your coverage
to be sure you’re protected; just give
us a call.
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