<VV> CA & tort law (grossly attenuated Corvair content) Was: Re: Handling & tire pressure

[wrsssatty at aol.com]

<Let's hear it for California, leading the way for frivolous lawsuits..>


In all fairness it should be noted that in enunciating the principle of strict liability in tort the California court cited an earlier New Jersey court decision and, shortly thereafter, in expressly adopting the theory themselves, the New Jersey court clarified that the principle was what they had in mind in their holding in their earlier case.  From Wikipedia; <nearly all U.S. states and territories followed California's example in imposing strict liability on manufacturers, distributors, and retailers for defective products. In a landmark 1986 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court embraced strict liability for defective products by adopting it as part of federal admiralty law.>   In this case California (or, perhaps, New Jersey) did not remain an outlier but proved to be a bellwether state.


~Bill Stanley