Legal Definitions - second-collision doctrine

The second-collision doctrine, also known as the crashworthiness doctrine, is a principle in products liability law. It holds that a manufacturer of a product will be held strictly liable for injuries that occur in a collision, even if the collision results from an independent cause. This is to the extent that a defect in the product causes injuries beyond those that would have occurred in the collision itself.

For example, if a car is involved in a collision and the airbag fails to deploy due to a defect, the manufacturer may be held liable for any injuries sustained by the driver or passengers that were caused by the failure of the airbag. This is because the defect in the airbag caused injuries beyond those that would have occurred in the collision itself.

The second-collision doctrine is important because it ensures that manufacturers are held responsible for defects in their products that can cause harm to consumers. It also provides a way for injured parties to seek compensation for their injuries.