Product liability is something that is important for all
companies to be aware of especially in the use phase of the product. If a
defective product leads to an injury of a customer this could have huge effects
not only on the engineer but the company itself. Engineers have the
responsibility to make sure that this product is used the right way. This is important that the design of the
product can’t harm and the safety and wellbeing of the customer comes first.
Companies need to make sure that it is something that is user friendly yet at
the same tie has limited to no risks. Engineers in the entire process of design
need to make sure that this is in mind at all time. If the product can cause
harm to the customer then it needs to have a label attached to it. This not
only prevents the company of being sued but also makes the customer aware of
what the use of the product is and the dangers that could come with the use of
the product.
One example that comes to mind is there was a man that was
trapped in a telephone booth. The man got hit by a car by a drunk driver. This
man ended up suing the telephone company because he had no way of getting out
before the driver hit him. This design flaw in the telephone booth this failure
in design caused the man to be hit by the driver. The man had the right to sue
him. The company ended up losing the case because multiple people had trouble
with the ability to open the door. The failure by the company in keeping the customer
in mind cost them. This inaction by the company shows a great example of
product liability. Sewing companies has been a cause of discussion in
the past. I feel that if someone was harmed by the actions of someone else it
seems that they have the right to be sued. Product liability is something that
is not only important for the company to be sure to be aware of. It is
important to make sure that the customer’s interest is top priority not only in
quality but in safety.-MG