Tag: product liability insurance

Is Product Liability Insurance Important to Carry?

A lot of people think that products such as office equipment used within a business are not worth insuring since they tend to depreciate and lose value over time.

Besides, they can become obsolete owing to the rapid development and innovation of new products.

Insuring products and equipment would be covered in a general product liability insurance policy.

Proper product insurance would protect from equipment liability no matter if the product is located or contained within an insured building, farm, ranch, commercial complex or warehouse.

However, there is some equipment, which is brought to the client’s location or house.

Since they are not part of the structure that is insured, it follows that the equipment is not insured.

Take, for example, example, LCD projectors. If the business is into renting out special equipment, the business income is derived from the lease of such equipment.

In the transport or delivery of this equipment, it is mishandled or jiggled, resulting in it being smashed or broken.

The business then loses income from its lease and may even get a lawsuit for not delivering what it promised. Furthermore, replacing projectors would cost the business, especially if they are state-of-the-art and very expensive.

For this reason, a special liability insurance policy is handy.

It covers myriads of equipment for many small businesses such as those used by

  • artisan contractors,
  • fine art dealers,
  • photographers,
  • performers, and
  • veterinarians.
  • It can also cover the products carried by a trucker such as beverages, fragile products, and grocery items.
  • It can even cover vending machine’s and materials installed at the home, such as heaters.In the present-day market, very few companies are unaware of the concept of product liability insurance.

In order to avoid any unpleasant consequences due to liability charges against your company, you definitely need to have a security policy of product liability insurance.

Are you thinking that you can avoid liability issues?

Well, this is more of fantasy because liability charges are hard to avoid the fact.

These days, not a single company can escape liability charges with complete success!

So, there is nothing better than staying prepared for it beforehand and the very obvious and feasible solution comes in the form of product liability insurance policies.

There are primarily two types of product liabilities. Once you learn about these types, you will be aware of the reasons for which you must go for the insurance policy.

Moreover, product liability insurance policies also help companies avoid any undesirable or sudden damage by liability charges or insurance claims. The first type of liability is one that is based on ‘fault‘.

The second liability type is termed as ‘strict liability‘. You must analyze every possible detail about product liability insurance, before going for an insurance policy. Definitely, you would not like to make a wrong or least thought decision.

Plan out your strategy and analyze all the available options before picking one insurance policy against product liability issues.

Remember, one well-thought decision may pay off in the long run and may also save you from vast damage or loss.

 

A Look at the History of Product Liability Insurance in America

Prior to the year 1900, American businesses did not need to worry about having product liability insurance in place in case a consumer sued over a faulty or unsafe product. The theory of product liability and the need to have a business covered by an insurance plan that catered to product liability insurance comes from the industrial revolution.

Before machinery started producing quantities of consumer goods for sale, starting in the early 1900’s, consumers were expected to use their own judgment on if a product was well made or not. Quality craftsmen existed during this period of time, and they took pride in making individual products for sale.

As automobiles became popular after World War One, and factory production started including a labor force interested in running machines, the notion of product liability insurance started to become a thought that would still take years to develop. During the 1920’s and 1930’s early factory machinery did produce flawed items now and then.

Between the early 1900’s and the beginning of the 1940’s, consumers were buying products based upon a long-time theory of intelligence. It was assumed that consumers could tell when a product might be hazardous to buy, own, or operate and that it was up to each individual consumer to use common sense while shopping.

World War Two changed how factory productions worked and added the female population into the workforce. Factory machinery was streamlined, and more consumer goods entered into the marketplace. With the widespread use of electricity in new items becoming the norm – there were lots of product liability insurance types of claims entering into the court systems as consumers came in contact with faulty electrical products.

By the 1960’s our current expanded situation in product liability insurance issues was set in stone due to negligence, breach of warranty and strict liability. Court laws had changed to allow consumer’s access to the manufacturers and distributors of items being sold that were unsafe. While consumers still shopped with the attitude that it was up to them to judge a product’s safety, the laws were letting some product liability lawsuit plaintiffs receive large amounts of money for claims.

Today, product liability insurance is needed by all businesses that make or offer products to consumers. The consumer is no longer required to use any judgment at all while using a product for the purpose that it was intended for. If the product’s instructions do not make it clear that an electrical appliance should not be used in a bathtub this is a potential product liability insurance claim problem.

Product liability insurance covers manufacturers, retail suppliers, and store owners if a product somehow fails to meet the public’s standards. Each product sold, including those from an antique store, must have all hazards announced to the consumer or there is a possibility that your store will be making a product liability insurance claim.

It is very advisable today, with the product liability situation the way that it is, that all stores, retail supply sources, and manufacturers have some product liability insurance on hand and available in case a problem comes up. The courts are known to give consumers suffering damages very large settlements at times.

Benefits of Product Liability Insurance to Nutraceutical and Dietary Supplement Companies

Product liability insurance is a specific part of business insurance which covers the legal aspects of any product manufacturing company, regarding their product. For businesses working in the dietary supplement and nutraceutical industry having this type of coverage is critical.

If the supplements being sold as a product causes any damages to a person, the buyer can always file a legal claim and sue the company that manufacturers or sells the dietary product.

Having a specific type of products liability policy designed for a dietary supplement company will take care of the legal aspects of this type of product liability legal business claim.

Product liability includes manufacturing defects, design defect, or no warning messages. Suppose the products have manufacturing defects due to inferior quality materials, which can cause some damage to the property of the buyer.

If the product is not properly designed to suit the need of the buyer or no warning messages on the box or in the instruction book let so the buyer injures himself or his property while using the product with out knowing about the danger. If any of the above said things cause damage to the buyer, he can always sue the manufacturing company of the product.

When a product is manufactured, not only the manufacturing company is responsible for the product but also the persons involved, like wholesalers, retailers and suppliers are also answerable to the public. If any damage is caused to the property or persons, the buyer of the product may sue the company. Product liability insurance will help in dealing with the litigation and they will pay the financial liabilities if needed.

For more information on getting Product Liability Insurance for a Nutraceutical or Dietary Supplements business please visit Products-Liability-Insurance.com/ and apply for coverage today.

Necessary Products Insurance to for Product Liability Lawsuit Protection

Nowadays, there are insurance policies to suit virtually every issue or scenario. In areas where they happen to be absent, customized policies can be formulated, and premium charges appropriately applied. For people whose businesses fall in the area of production, product liability insurance is very necessary.

A product generally refers to any physical item that is either sold or given away.

Sometimes, products can cause injuries, or damages to properties of customers, and thereby attract lawsuits that could put you out of business. In cases where you are found to be legally responsible for such injuries or damages, you can very well be ordered to pay compensations to affected parties, especially if such products sport your business brand, or you were in command of handling them in any way and cannot identify the manufacturer. It is important to note, however, that the laws guiding product liability vary from country to country.

It is quite possible for businesses occupying higher positions in the chain of production than you to end up bearing the full brunt of product liability in such circumstances. For that to happen however, you must be able to prove that the products involved were faulty before they even got to you.

You must also be able to prove that you have good quality control systems in place, and that terms for return of faulty goods were included in the manufacturer or processor’s contract that was given to the consumer in question. Adequate precautionary measures, such as quality staff training in the use of appropriate and quality systems, must be found to have already been in place.

Finally, it is important to read through the terms and conditions of your insurance coverage before signing the contract. This will help you to avoid careless oversights that could result in you not deriving the full benefits of product liability coverage.