86469 - Product Safety, Product Liability and Automotive

Course contents

I - INTRODUCTION TO PRIVATE LAW

Private law principles

Contract law principles

Tort law principles:

• Compensatory damages
• Punitive damages
• Class action in UE and US
• The precautionary principle and its impact on the tort law rules

II -PRODUCT SAFETY AND PRODUCT LIABILITY IN THE UE LEGAL SYSTEM:

• Product safety regulation and predictable risk limitation, a balance between efficient market regulation and public health protection
• Unidentified risks between producer's liability limitation for development risks and the precautionary principle;
• The Directive 85/374/ECC;
• The concept of “defective product”:

• Design defect
• Manufacturing defect
• Worming defect

• Areas of application and the compensation of damages caused by the so called “bystanders”;
• Conditions excluding liability;
• The duty to warn and the contributory negligence of the plaintiff;
• Compensatory damages;
• Limitation periods of the right to compensation for damages arising from unlawful acts;
• Producer's liability according to sectoral and civil law;
• Claims limitations;
• Potential defendants in product liability claims;
• Product safety and quality
• The general product safety directive 2001/95/EC and the articles 102-111 cod. cons;
• The concepts of safe” and “unsafe” products;
• Obligations for manufacturers and distributors;
• The safety assessment;
• Authorities involved in the harmonization and in the definition of harmonized European standards
• Preventive tools and the precautionary principle:
• The alert system: RAPEX;
• The withdrawal;
• The recall;
• The duty to warn;
• The duty to eliminate the risk;
• Market surveillance and product recall management.

III -PRODUCT SAFETY AND PRODUCT LIABILITY IN THE US LEGAL SYSTEM

• The fragmentation of tort law at state level and the uniform federal product safety standards;
• Agencies involved in the definition of harmonized standards on product safety;
• The concept of “defective product”:
• Design defect
• Manufacturing defect
• Worming defect
• Punitive damages and product liability

IV -AUTOMOTIVE AND PRIVATE LAW

• Car manufacturing, car circulation and the problem of the cost of the accidents
• The road safety and the car safety
• The Crashworthiness doctrine in US
• The role of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
• The NHTSA safety standards
• The UE safety standards
• Vehicle’s safety and manufacturer liability in UE and US
• The manufacturer liability
• The liability of the manufacturer of a specific component
• The designer liability

V - HIGHLY AUTOMATED VEHICLES, CONNECTED VEHICLES AND AUTONOMOUS DRIVING CARS

• The legal aspects between existing laws, the role of the jurisprudence and the perspectives of a reform.
• Product liability insurance in the prospective of new issues arising from automated vehicles
• Ethic issues arising from automated vehicles and the role of the law

The law making process in UE

• The ERTRAC Working Group’s Automated Driving Roadmap
• The common EU approach to liability rules and insurance for connected and autonomous vehicles
• Development risk and precautionary principle in the prospective of the future law upon highly automated vehicles autonomous driving cars

The law making process in US

• New Federal Guidance for Automated Driving Systems (ADS): A Vision for Safety 2.0. sviluppate dalla National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) di concerto con il U.S. Department of Transportation
• The first cases of accidents caused by highly automated vehicles. A legal analysis in the prospective of the existing rules.

 

Readings/Bibliography

Some of the topics covered in class will be explained through slides representing logical connections between private law topics in order to facilitate learning. Other supporting materials (legal cases, documents, legal texts, slides) will be made available to students on the website.

Teaching methods

Lessons will be held by Professor Enrico Al Mureden.

Attending students will be able to study cases through small working groups where they will be able to produce their own solution to cases. Students will be offered the opportunity to take part in a moot court during the first and the second part of the course, as a conclusion of the case law analysis.

 

 

Assessment methods

The final evaluation is based on a written exam and an oral part.

 

Students with disabilities or Specific Learning Disorders (DSA) can ask to the Professor adaptations for their specific needs.

Erasmus students can ask to the Professor adjustment of the program according their learning agreement.

The degree thesis will be assigned by Prof. Enrico Al Mureden.

Teaching tools

Some of the topics covered in class will be explained through slides representing logical connections between private law topics in order to facilitate learning. Other supporting materials (legal cases, documents, legal texts, slides) will be made available to students on the website.

Office hours

See the website of Enrico Al Mureden