Iowa Citizen Action Network

Civil Justice and Consumer Protection

Product Liability Laws Make America Safer

America’s product liability laws are a powerful warning to even the most audacious wrongdoers that they can’t market and sell products that injure or kill consumers and expect to get away with it. The following are just a few of the safety changes prompted by our liability laws and punitive damages.

The Harmful Product The Corporate Misconduct The Positive Change
Children severely burned by highly flammable pajamas Dayton Hudson Corp. aware of hazard, but chose not to treat pajamas with flame-retardant chemicals. $1 million punitive award forces unsafe product off the market
Women dying from Toxic Shock Syndrome after using super-absorbent tampons Playtex willfully disregarded studies and medical reports linking product to Toxic Shock Deadly product removed from market after $10 million punitive award
Faulty surgical ventilator cuts off oxygen supply, causing brain, lung damage Airco was aware its design was risky Airco assures medical device alert after $3 million punitive award
Arthritis pain-relief drug causes fatal kidney-liver ailment Eli Lilly knew of hazard, but failed to inform doctors, patients and FDA $6 million punitive award forces company to remove drug from world market
After inhaling asbestos, workers contract asbestosis, which causes lung cancer Manufacturers knew danger of asbestos for decades, but concealed risk from public Asbestos taken off market thanks to liability claims and punitive damages
Babies tragically being hanged to death on headboard of crib Bassett Furniture, which had stopped making crib, failed to notify owners of hazard Company stepped up recall of crib, public notification effort after $475,000 punitive award