Manufacturer Liability for Harms Caused by Consumers to Others

26 Pages Posted: 20 Dec 2004 Last revised: 26 Jun 2022

See all articles by Bruce L. Hay

Bruce L. Hay

Harvard Law School

Kathryn E. Spier

Harvard University - Law School - Faculty; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Date Written: December 2004

Abstract

Should the manufacturer of a product be held legally responsible when a consumer, while using the product, harms someone else? We show that if consumers have deep pockets then manufacturer liability is not economically efficient. It is more efficient for the consumers themselves to bear responsibility for the harms that they cause. If homogeneous consumers have limited assets, then the most efficient rule is "residual-manufacturer liability" where the manufacturer pays the shortfall in damages not paid by the consumer. Residual-manufacturer liability distorts the market quantity when consumers' willingness to pay is correlated with their propensity to cause harm. It distorts product safety when consumers differ in their wealth levels. In both cases, consumer-only liability may be more efficient.

Suggested Citation

Hay, Bruce L. and Spier, Kathryn E., Manufacturer Liability for Harms Caused by Consumers to Others (December 2004). NBER Working Paper No. w10972, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=633632

Bruce L. Hay

Harvard Law School ( email )

1575 Massachusetts
Hauser 406
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States
617-496-8277 (Phone)

Kathryn E. Spier (Contact Author)

Harvard University - Law School - Faculty ( email )

1575 Massachusetts
Hauser 302
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States
(617) 496-0019 (Phone)

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

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