Products liability

• Author: Evan Schaeffer
• Pages: 187-302

PRODUCTS LIABILITY

4-1

CHAPTER 4

PRODUCTS LIABILITY

I. THE PRODUCTS LIABILITY CAUSE OF ACTION

A. Theories of Recovery

§4:01 Def‌inition and General Points

§4:02 Strict Liability: General Principles

§4:03 Strict Liability: Defective Product

§4:04 Strict Liability: Failure to Warn

§4:05 Negligence

§4:06 Warranty Theories: General Principles

§4:07 Express Warranty

§4:08 Practice Tip: Don’t Neglect an Express Warranty Claim

§4:09 Implied Warranty

B. Typical Defenses

§4:20 Contributory Negligence/Comparative Fault

§4:21 Assumption of Risk

§4:22 Misuse

§4:23 Statute of Limitations

§4:24 Statute of Repose

§4:25 Caution: The Changing Nature of the Law of Products Liability

II. THE DISCOVERY PLAN

A. Sequence and Timing

§4:30 Practice Tip: Think About Experts From the Beginning

§4:31 The Initial Round of Written Discovery

§4:32 Practice Tip: Stay on the Offensive

§4:33 Requests for Admissions

§4:34 Written Discovery of the Opinions of the Defendant’s Experts

§4:35 Depositions of Corporate Representatives

§4:36 Practice Tip: Testing the Knowledge of Corporate Designees

B. Documents and Exhibits

§4:50 Liability Documents

§4:51 Damage Documents

C. Typical Deponents

1. General Points

§4:60 Typical Deponents

§4:61 The Depositions the Defendant Will Take

2. Liability Witnesses

§4:70 Plaintiff’s Liability Witnesses

§4:71 Defendant’s Liability Experts

PRODUCTS LIABILITY

Deposition Checklists and Strategies 4-2

§4:72 Corporate Designee—Design and Testing/Marketing

§4:73 Marketing Executive

§4:74 Sales Representative

§4:75 Product Engineer/Designer

§4:76 Practice Tip: Ask One Question At a Time

3. Defendant’s Expert Witnesses

§4:80 General Points

§4:81 The Government-Standards Expert

§4:82 The Engineering Expert

4. Defendant’s Expert Medical Witnesses

§4:90 Causation

§4:91 Damages

5. Defendant’s Expert Damage Witnesses

§4:100 General Points

§4:101 The Defendant’s Economist

§4:102 The Defendant’s Vocational Rehabilitation Expert

§4:103 The Defendant’s Life Care Planner

III. SAMPLE DEPOSITION: CORPORATE DESIGNEEDESIGN AND TESTING

A. Noticing the Deposition

§4:110 Authority for a Corporate Designee Deposition

§4:111 Defendant’s Duty to Select the Corporate Representative

§4:112 Timing

B. Goals, Strategy and Preparation

§4:120 Deposition Goals

§4:121 Deposition Strategy

§4:122 Deposition Preparation

C. The Deposition Outline

1. Background and Thumbnail Outline

§4:130 Background Facts

§4:131 Thumbnail Outline/Deposition Checklist

2. Preliminary Questions

§4:140 Standard Introductory Questions

§4:140.1 Practice Tip: Where Does the Witness Live

§4:141 The Witness’s Background, Including His Background With the Defendant

3. The Notice and Witness’s Preparation

§4:150 The Deposition Notice and Areas of the Witness’s Knowledge

§4:151 The Witness’s Preparation for the Deposition

4. Specif‌ic Topics

§4:160 Design

§4:161 Testing

§4:162 Practice Tip: “Who Does Know?”

§4:163 Manufacturing

§4:164 The Warning Label

§4:164.1 Practice Tip: Another Purpose of Depositions—Discovering Other Witnesses

§4:165 Similar Accidents

IV. SAMPLE DEPOSITION: DEFENDANT’S CAUSATION EXPERT IN A DEFECTIVE DRUG CASE

A. Overview of Defendant’s Experts

§4:170 Defendant’s Experts Are Experienced

§4:171 Generic and Specif‌ic Liability Experts

§4:172 Medical Experts

§4:173 Non-Medical Damage Experts

§4:174 Practice Tip: Exploit These Five Areas of Weakness

PRODUCTS LIABILITY

4-3 Products Liability

B. Goals, Strategy and Preparation

§4:180 Deposition Goals

§4:181 Practice Tip: Five Keys for Deposing Experts in Products-Liability Cases

§4:182 Deposition Preparation

C. The Use of Epidemiology in Defective Drug Cases

§4:190 Plaintiff’s Use of Epidemiology

§4:191 Defendant’s Use of Epidemiology

D. The Deposition Outline

1. Background and Thumbnail Outline

§4:200 Background Facts: Fen-Phen Litigation

§4:201 Background Facts: This Sample Deposition

§4:202 Thumbnail Outline/Deposition Checklist

2. Preliminary Questions

§4:210 Standard Introductory Questions

§4:211 Past Deposition and Trial Testimony

3. The Expert’s File Materials

§4:220 Identif ying the Expert’s File Materials

§4:220.1 Practice Tip: When the Expert Arrives Without the Requested Documents

§4:221 Identifying the Expert’s File Materials, Part 2

§4:222 Practice Tip: Establish the Role the Defendant’s

Lawyer Played in Assisting the Defendant’s Expert

§4:223 Practice Tip: How to Move Quickly Through the Expert’s File

§4:224 Practice Tip: Catch the Expert Unprepared (by Finding Out What He Hasn’t Read)

4. The Expert’s Background and Trial Preparation

§4:230 The Expert’s CV and Rule 26 List

§4:231 Preparation for the Deposition

§4:232 The Expert’s Occupation and Work

§4:233 The Expert’s Areas of Research

§4:234 Practice Tip: Asserting Control Over the Witness

§4:235 The Expert’s Publications

§4:236 Practice Tip: Find Out About the Authorities the Expert Consults

5. Past Work as an Expert

§4:240 Past Testimony

§4:241 Other Expert Work

§4:242 Past Work for the Opposing Lawyer

§4:243 Past Work for the Defendant

§4:244 Practice Tip: Stock Ownership

6. Experience With the Product

§4:250 Personal Experience

§4:251 Work on the Case

§4:252 Practice Tip: When and How Was the Expert Retained

§4:253 What the Expert Is Charging

§4:254 Preparations to Render an Opinion

§4:255 Practice Tip: What the Expert Did Not Do

§4:256 Communication With Lawyers About the Case

§4:257 Communication With Others About the Case

§4:258 Practice Tip: E-Mails

7. Terminology and Knowledge of Facts

§4:270 Agreement as to Terminology

§4:271 Expert’s Knowledge of Case-Related Facts

8. The Expert’s Opinions

§4:280 Repor t Prepared by the Expert

§4:281 Process by Which the Report Was Prepared

§4:282 Opinions Contained in the Repor t