Product Retailers Liable in Utah for Defective Products

Utah’s Liability Reform Act doesn’t shield product retailers and others in the product distribution chain from defect-related strict liability claims even though they weren’t involved in product design, the Utah Supreme Court said Dec 1.

The court reinstated a Utah couple’s claims against R.C. Willey, holding the furniture seller may be held liable to a man who alleges his foot was crushed by a reclining chair.

The ruling is significant because, for the first time, the state top court clarified that downstream companies aren’t immune from defect liability under the Liability Reform Act, overturning a contrary intermediate court ruling.

Melinda ...