Bill > H1437

This bill aims to protect non-manufacturing sellers from liability in products liability actions. Key provisions include: 1. Requiring manufacturers to indemnify and hold harmless sellers against losses arising from products liability actions, except for losses caused by the seller's own misconduct. 2. Limiting the liability of non-manufacturing sellers, unless they participated in the product's design, altered or modified the product, installed the product, controlled the content of inadequate warnings, made an incorrect factual representation about the product, or actually knew of a product defect. 3. Establishing a rebuttable presumption that a manufacturer or seller is not liable if the product complied with federal safety standards, unless the standards were inadequate or the manufacturer withheld or misrepresented relevant information. 4. Allowing sellers to file an affidavit identifying the correct manufacturer, which would relieve the seller of strict liability claims, subject to certain exceptions. 5. Providing a defense for sellers who had no knowledge of the defect, could not have discovered it with reasonable care, did not manufacture or alter the product, and are subject to service of process. The bill applies to contracts made before and after its passage and provides for civil actions and remedies for sellers who are injured by unlawful acts under the law.

Justice

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H1437