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Cornell Law Faculty Publications

Section 402A

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Full-Text Articles in Law

Consumer Expectations' Last Hope: A Response To Professor Kysar, James A. Henderson Jr., Aaron Twerski Nov 2003

Consumer Expectations' Last Hope: A Response To Professor Kysar, James A. Henderson Jr., Aaron Twerski

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

The authors agree with Professor Kysar that the current version of the consumer expectations test for design defectiveness is an amorphous, unprincipled misreading of section 402A of the Restatement (Second) of Torts. And they agree that most courts apply risk-utility balancing in determining design defectiveness. But they disagree with Kysar's proposal to supplement risk-utility balancing with a reinvigorated consumer expectations test based on expert testimony regarding what consumers actually expect in the way of design safety. Judicial reliance on such testimony would be susceptible to result-oriented manipulation by litigants, would not guide manufacturers in making sensible design choices, would pressure …


Arriving At Reasonable Alternative Design: The Reporters' Travelogue, James A. Henderson Jr., Aaron Twerski Jan 1997

Arriving At Reasonable Alternative Design: The Reporters' Travelogue, James A. Henderson Jr., Aaron Twerski

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

Substantial commentary and controversy have been generated by the requirement in the new Restatement (Third) of Torts: Products Liability that plaintiffs in most (but not all) cases involving claims of defective product design show that a reasonable alternative design was available and that failure to adopt the alternative rendered the defendant's design not reasonably safe. Henderson and Twerski explain the origins of that requirement and show that it is not only the majority position but also comports with widely shared views regarding the proper objectives of our liability system. Although consumer expectations cannot serve as a workable, stand-alone test for …


Revising Section 402a: The Limits Of Tort As Social Insurance, James A. Henderson Jr. Oct 1993

Revising Section 402a: The Limits Of Tort As Social Insurance, James A. Henderson Jr.

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.


Will A New Restatement Help Settle Troubled Waters: Reflections, James A. Henderson Jr., Aaron Twerski Jan 1993

Will A New Restatement Help Settle Troubled Waters: Reflections, James A. Henderson Jr., Aaron Twerski

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.


A Proposed Revision Of Section 402a Of The Restatement (Second) Of Torts, James A. Henderson Jr., Aaron Twerski Sep 1992

A Proposed Revision Of Section 402a Of The Restatement (Second) Of Torts, James A. Henderson Jr., Aaron Twerski

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.