Product Liability: Verdicts and Case Resolution in Five States

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information about 305 product liability cases resolved in 5 states between 1983 and 1985, focusing on: (1) compensatory and punitive damage award amounts; (2) courts' use of negligence and strict liability standards to determine liability; (3) post-trial activities and plaintiff payments; (4) litigation time and cost; and (5) the possible impact of proposed federal product liability legislation on the outcomes of court cases and on the variations in laws across states.