The Sixth Circuit recently held that it would not apply Kentucky’s economic loss doctrine to consumer purchases, and consumers are free to pursue tort claims against manufacturers even when damage occurs only to a product itself. The Sixth Circuit was sitting in diversity and ruled in State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co. v. Norcold, Inc.,...
From the moment plumbing went indoors, there was the potential for water damage to buildings from faulty plumbing. And, the addition of appliances only increased the potential. But, what about the connection between the indoor plumbing and the appliance? The water pipes in a structure have to connect somehow to appliances that use water, like...
On January 23, 2017, Samsung announced that poorly designed and manufactured batteries are to blame for the fires associated with its Galaxy Note 7 phones. The announcement comes after months of investigation by Samsung and three independent industry organizations. The investigation revealed problems with both the batteries that were originally used in the phone during...
There are many impediments to a successful investigation of a product liability claim – age of the product, preservation of evidence, chain of custody of the evidence, installation markings, etc. This article will discuss situations where there is a lack of identifying information on the product. Products Lacking Manufacturer Identification Picture the scenario where the insured...
Since recently departing from the economic loss rule, Washington courts have continued to expand the scope and applicability of the independent duty doctrine in a variety of circumstances. A recent appellate case, The Point at Westport Harbor Homeowners’ Association v. Engineers Northwest, Inc.,[1] further enlarges the doctrine to include scenarios where no actual property damage...
The Right to Repair Act has reared its ugly head again. In Elliott Homes, Inc. v. Superior Court (Hicks) 2016 DJAR 11930, the Third Appellate District issued a writ of mandate ordering a stay of pending litigation until plaintiffs satisfied the pre-litigation procedures mandated by the Right to Repair Act. Plaintiffs brought a construction defect...
On October 13, 2016, Roylco Educational Light Cubes were recalled because its lithium battery can overheat and catch fire. On the same day, Samsung expanded its recall of the Galaxy Note7 Smartphones based on additional incidents with the replacement phone’s lithium battery overheating and catching fire. On September 20, 2016, Denon recalled its rechargeable battery...
In England, parties to a dispute are encouraged to settle cases through the use of Part 36 of the Civil Procedure Rules (“CPR”). The rationale of the Part 36 regime is to encourage settlement. If a party rejects an offer made under Part 36, and subsequently fails to beat the offer later on in the...
Despite over a decade of laptop battery recalls, one of the latest chapters in the lithium-ion fire hazard saga unfolded on June 23, 2016, when HP issued a sweeping recall of batteries installed in its notebook computers. The particular lithium-ion batteries subject to the recall, the company states, “have the potential to overheat, posing a fire...
In today’s economy, it is no surprise to find that the product at the heart of a product liability suit was manufactured by a company outside of the United States. But properly serving that foreign manufacturer appears to cause some confusion. If strategy dictates the need for a claim against a foreign entity, especially in...
