ENGINEERING CONSIDERATIONS ON LITIGATION AVOIDANCE

It is generally understood that engineers can do some things to help prevent product liability lawsuits. However, it is not so well understood that very likely the best way to prevent lawsuits is at the engineering stage. This paper reviews conventional activities of that type and describes a general philosophy that if the engineer works to prevent the accident, he will be making the most effective contribution. In addition, the paper presents a new viewpoint concerning "trade-offs" between safety and product effectiveness. The paper suggests that trade-offs are not even appropriate things to consider, but that the engineering effort must be to raise product effectiveness and safety--both--to successfully higher levels. The tension, for example, between cost and safety will never disappear. The engineer's response must be to raise the level of safety without increasing product cost and reducing product cost without sacrificing safety. That is the real engineering objective.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Published in SP-586, Product Liability and Quality. International Off-Highway and Powerplant Congress and Exposition Milwaukee, Wisconsin, September 10-13, 1984.
• Corporate Authors:

  Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)

  400 Commonwealth Drive
  Warrendale, PA  United States  15096
• Authors:
  • Lux, W J
• Publication Date: 1984-9

Media Info

• Features: Figures;
• Pagination: p. 13-19
• Serial:
  • Publication of: Newcastle University, Australia
  • Publisher: Newcastle University, Australia

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; Core samples; Cost effectiveness; Density; Engineers; Industrial engineering; Legal factors; Litigation; Measures of effectiveness; Production; Safety
• Uncontrolled Terms: Effectiveness
• Old TRIS Terms: Core density
• Subject Areas: Law; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00395742
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: SAE 831395, HS-038 266
• Files: HSL, USDOT
• Created Date: Jun 30 1985 12:00AM