These modern times, people are now very litigious of anything minor or major. That is why there is great rise of the several types of liability insurances in the market to help business owners. One of these insurances vital for a business proprietor is the product liability insurance.
Product liability insurance protects the business and its owner from claims related to the sale and or manufacture of any type of products such as food, medicines, and other goods. This type of liability insurance, however, may not cover the financial losses of the owner or its business due to faulty products that they manufactured, produced and/or supplied to the public.
If a business or company supplied a faulty product, the claimants may try to claim from them first, even if they did not manufacture the product. The enterprise involved will be liable for the compensation claims if any of the following occurred: the business' name is labeled on the product, the business repaired, restored, or changed the product, the business imported it outside the country, the manufacturer cannot be clearly identified, and the manufacturer closed the business.
If not the business itself is liable, then most probably the manufacturers are. Even so, the business should show and prove any or all of the following: the products were faulty or damaged when supplied to them; consumers are given sufficient safety instructions and warnings regarding its misuse; consumers are given conditions for return of faulty or damaged goods to the manufacturer; the business has a supply contract with the manufacturer that covers safety, quality control, and returns of the products; and the business have good quality control systems and record-keeping systems.
There are also cases wherein there is a so-called firing line for claims on product liability. The first in line is the producer or manufacturer of the product. Next in line is the person or business that placed their name or mark, declaring to be the product's producer. Third in line is the person or business who imported the product. It is followed by the person or the business who recondition the product. The last in line is the person or business who supplied the product.
Just like any other professional liability insurance, product liability insurance is not obligatory in law. Yet, every manufacturer, supplier, and retailers should and must protect themselves from the perils of liability claims screwed to them if ever defective products injured any consumer. After all, it is their responsibility to provide the public with quality and safe products.
