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Product Liability: Verdicts and Case Resolution in Five States

HRD-89-99 Published: Sep 29, 1989. Publicly Released: Nov 15, 1989.
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Highlights

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.

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Topics

Business Regulation and Consumer Protection
Appellate procedureComparative analysisDamages (legal)Liability (legal)LitigationProduct safetyProposed legislationRestitutionTortsVictim compensation