PRODUCTS LIABILITY

		The purpose in the establishment of
		judicial tribunals is to prevent the
		commission of wrongs; to compel
		redress to those who have suffered
		from them, and to inflict punishment
		in proper cases on those guilty of
		their commission.
          (from Thomas M. Cooley's A Treatise on the Law of Torts
          or the Wrongs Which Arise Independent of Contract, 18


The law of responsibility for injury from products has developed independently from other areas of traditional negligence law. Public policy has placed more responsibility onto manufacturers, distributors and retailers of products which cause injury because of defects in the product. The twentieth century saw the development of the concept of "strict liability" whereby a manufacturer or distributor of a product could be found liable if a product were found to be unreasonably dangerous and defective in some respect. This liability exists regardless of whether the manufacturer or distributor is shown to be negligent. Montana has recognized this concept of strict liability for products since at least 1973 when the Montana Supreme Court decided the Brandenburger v. Toyota case and specifically adopted the concept. The lawyers at Moulton Bellingham have extensive experience both in defending and prosecuting products liability cases. This includes extensive experience at the trial level, and also at the appellate level which may involve asserting or defending against new and unique legal theories. The law involving liability from products is constantly evolving, and such cases require an active and experienced team of litigators. Besides representing individual persons who have been injured by products, Moulton Bellingham regularly represents local and regional manufacturers as well as such international manufacturers of products as General Motors, Deere & Company, Toyota, and Honda.

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