Products Liability: Defect Types

Defects include manufacturing, design, and failure-to-warn defects.

Representative cases

• Branham v. Ford Motor Co. 390 S.C. 203 · Supreme Court of South Carolina
• Ford Motor Co. v. Ledesma 242 S.W.3d 32 · Texas Supreme Court
• Parish v. Icon Health & Fitness, Inc. 719 N.W.2d 540 · Supreme Court of Iowa

Related Products Liability rules

• Manufacturing DefectA manufacturing defect deviates from intended design and makes product unreasonably dangerous.
• Design DefectDesign defects require showing safer, feasible alternative design under risk-utility test.
• Failure to WarnManufacturers must warn of foreseeable risks not obvious to ordinary users.
• Products Liability: Strict Liability ElementsStrict liability requires a commercial seller, defective product, causation, and foreseeable use.
• Products Liability: Warranty ClaimsWarranty liability arises from breach of express or implied warranties.
• Products Liability: MisrepresentationFalse statements about product safety that induce reliance create liability.

Part of Torts on Core Legal Rules — foundational MBE-tested principles with primary-source citations.