Some persons or companies may be held “strictly liable” for certain activities or products that harm others, even if it can’t be shown they acted negligently or with intent. This theory is important because it protects the community from dangerous products or activities and provides relief for injuries. Strict liability is applied to two different situations which the public should be made aware. These are strict products liability and liability for people engaged in “ultra hazardous activities.”

Strict products liability is applied against merchants of a product who sell abnormally dangerous products. A product may be abnormally dangerous because there is a defect it its design such as a faulty brake pedal, or simply because it lacked adequate warnings. A product may also be abnormally dangerous because of a manufacturing defect which resulted in a single defective product entering the stream of commerce. An example of this is a soda bottle entering the stream of commerce that contains a glass shard. In either case, both the manufacturer and merchant are liable for the sustained injuries that were foreseeable at the time the product was designed and manufactured. It is important to note, casual sellers of products such as those who host garage sales will not be strictly liable as merchants.

Strict liability is also used to protect the public from ultra hazardous activities. An ultra hazardous activity is one that involves a risk of serious harm which cannot be eliminated by the exercise of utmost care. Classic examples of ultra hazardous activities include blasting using dynamite or keeping wild animals. The person who engages in an ultra hazardous activity will be liable for all damage and injuries resulting from the activity regardless of whether they took every single possible precaution imaginable. 

If you have been injured by a defective product or as the result of an ultra hazardous activity, it is important to contact a personal injury attorney immediately. Injury claims are limited by a state’s statute of limitations and failure to file within this period may result in the forfeiture of your claim. 

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