The increasing recognition that excessive damage awards in product liability cases are creating problems for industry and making the United States a less attractive place to do business, have led to a wide range of reform efforts. Courts and legislatures at both the federal and state levels have attempted to balance the goals of adequately compensating injured plaintiffs and punishing undesirable conduct against the need for common-sense limits on damages caused by product defects. The broad scope of the compromise bill before Congress, if it ultimately is signed into law, in or near its current form, should lead to some greater protection for product sellers and manufactures. This, in turn, should lead to decreased costs of production, as well as increased spending on research and development, since the potential liabilities would be less onerous and more predictable.
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