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Simple English definitions for legal terms
crashworthiness doctrine
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A quick definition of crashworthiness doctrine:
The crashworthiness doctrine is a rule that says if a product, like a car, is defective and causes injuries in a collision, the manufacturer can be held responsible for those injuries. This is true even if the collision was not the manufacturer's fault. The doctrine applies when the defect in the product makes the injuries worse than they would have been in the collision alone. It is also called the second-collision or second-impact doctrine.
A more thorough explanation:
The crashworthiness doctrine is a principle in products liability law that holds manufacturers responsible for injuries sustained in a collision, even if the collision was caused by an independent factor. This means that if a defect in the product causes injuries beyond what would have occurred in the collision itself, the manufacturer can be held strictly liable.
For example, if a car manufacturer produces a vehicle with a faulty airbag system that fails to deploy during a collision, and the occupants of the car sustain additional injuries as a result, the manufacturer can be held liable under the crashworthiness doctrine.
Another example would be if a manufacturer produces a motorcycle with a weak frame that collapses during a collision, causing the rider to sustain more severe injuries than they would have otherwise. In this case, the manufacturer could be held liable under the crashworthiness doctrine.
The crashworthiness doctrine is important because it helps ensure that manufacturers are held accountable for producing safe products that protect consumers in the event of a collision. By holding manufacturers responsible for defects that cause additional injuries, the doctrine encourages them to design and produce safer products.