Product safety and liability regulations imminent

The General Product Safety Directive will apply responsibility for the marketing of safe products on manufacturers and distributors, which looks likely to boost demand for product recall cover

The last few years have been relatively kind to those that offer product liability insurance. The courts have been robust in their treatment of major pharmaceutical claims such as the oral contraceptive pill group action, and potential claimants and their lawyers have thought long and hard before trying to pursue major products-related claims.

Now is not, however, the time for complacency. The General Product Safety Directive, a central element of European consumer protection policy, was due to