ENGR 201 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Caveat Emptor, Strict Liability, Product Liability

• School: Concordia University
• Department: Engineering
• Course: ENGR 201
• Professor: Govind Gopakumar

Document Summary

Responsibility -> the process of responding or answering for an action performed. Liability -> the responsibility that is backed by the power of the law: extra-contractual : responsibility that is owed by tort or regulatory damages, contractual: responsibility that is owed within the bounds of an explicit contract. Legal approach -> caveat emptor -> risk is bared by buyer for any product purchased. Compensation is given if 3 things are established: an act of omission, a consequence, a cause-effect relation between act and consequence. Caveat vendidor -> manufacturers bear responsibility for products. Strict liability = the legal responsibility assigned in the public interest, even in the absence of negligence on the part of the manufacturer. A good example of strict liability is the message that manufacturers put on plastic bags that the bags could be a choking hazard for children. Civil liability -> responsibility to pay for damages cause.