Question

Acme sports Equipment is famous for its innovative and useful sports equipment. Acme designs a new football helmet which attracts the attention of the NFL. Orders are being placed for the helmets for most of the major football teams.

After the helmets have been on the market for a year the following things have occurred:

a. A player wearing the helmet is blinded after a tackle which caused a piece of the helmet to puncture his retina.
b. A toddler who was using the helmet as a portable potty rolled off and twisted his testicle, causing the testicle to be removed.
c. A football played has his finger amputated while ripping open the box that the helmet was stored in. While ripping open the package a sharp piece of plastic severed his pinky.
d. A famous NFL player suffers a concussion while wearing the helmet because a 280 pound player hit him head on in a tackle.
e. A motorcycle rider wearing the football helmet suffered brain damage after hitting a car and being propelled head-on into concrete.

Based upon your understanding of Product Liability Law, please state how you think each of these cases will turn out. Will Acme win or lose in a lawsuit resulting from each of these cases?

Answer 1

In product liability law, the outcome of a lawsuit depends on the defective nature of the product and its relationship to the injury. Acme may be held liable in cases (a) and (d) if the helmet is found to be defective and the defect caused the injury. They are unlikely to be held liable in cases (b), (c), and (e) as those injuries were unrelated to the helmet's use or intended purposes.

Step-by-step explanation:

In product liability law, the outcome of a lawsuit generally depends on whether the product is found to be defective and if the defect caused the injury in question. Let's analyze each case:

1. Case (a): The player being blinded by a piece of the helmet could potentially lead to a lawsuit against Acme. If it is determined that the helmet was defective and that defect caused the injury, Acme may be held liable.
2. Case (b): The toddler rolling off and suffering an injury unrelated to the intended use of the helmet would likely not hold Acme liable, as the company cannot be responsible for all potential misuses of their product.
3. Case (c): The football player losing a finger while opening the helmet's package is unlikely to result in Acme being held liable. This would be seen as an unrelated accident and not a defect in the helmet itself.
4. Case (d): If it can be proven that the helmet failed to protect the NFL player from a concussion due to a defect, Acme may face a lawsuit. However, if the helmet functioned as intended and the injury was simply a result of the inherent risks of football, they may not be held liable.
5. Case (e): The motorcycle rider suffering brain damage while wearing the football helmet would most likely not result in Acme being held liable, as the helmet was not designed or intended for motorcycle use.