Luckily, we've proven that we can hold companies liable for the harm that they cause. In 1972, 13-year-old Richard Grimshaw suffered severe burns when a defective Ford Pinto's gas tank erupted in flames. Grimshaw's lawsuit against the Ford Motor Company resulted in the largest product liability award in U.S. history up to that point, forever altering the auto industry's approach to risk. Grimshaw's tragedy became a watershed in American consumer safety.
Today, product liability is the invisible structure underpinning our lives as consumers and citizens, and is what protects our kids from harm. Liability helps "see" and prevent harms that even the most alert parents may not be able to anticipate. Liability is the reason we can buy toys at the store for our children without worrying about hidden dangers lurking inside the plastic clamshell packaging, or trust that a toddler's car seat will actually help prevent injuries in the event of an accident.