Stuff original
Representing Insurers & Product Manufacturers

RISK MANAGEMENT

This Practice Group is made up of experienced lawyers from the independent affiliated law firms that comprise Canadian Litigation Counsel.

Products Liability

Practice Group members are available to directly represent Insurers and Product Manufacturers with respect to all manner of products liability issues. Where specifically instructed, Practice Group members from separate Canadian Litigation Counsel firms are also available to work in conjunction with one another to provide co-ordinated services in respect of products liability issues with multi-jurisdictional ramifications.

The independent affiliated firms of CLC are uniquely positioned to provide Canada-wide legal assistance with regard to all aspects of product liability law.

The services provided can be broadly broken down as follows:

Risk Management

The most effective means by which to limit the potentially devastating impact of products liability claims is to avoid them in the first place. Practice Group members are available to provide advice and assistance to Product Manufacturers with respect to a wide range of risk management initiatives, including:

  • audits of existing risk management systems
  • review and development of quality assurance protocols
  • review and development of document retention procedures
  • review and revision of product sale contracts
  • review and development of loss and claims management protocols

Coverage

Coverage issues must always be handled in a careful and timely manner. In products liability claims, particularly those arising out of “long-tail exposures”, the coverage issues are often very complex.

As insurance defence firms, each of the independent member firms of the Canadian Litigation Counsel have considerable experience and expertise in insurance coverage issues. The members of the Products Liability Practice Group are available to provide advice and assistance with respect to all manner of coverage issues which impact upon products liability claims, including:

  • analysis of “trigger theories” in the context of occurrence based coverage
  • own product and work performed exclusions
  • profession errors and omissions exclusions
  • recall (or “sistership”) exclusions

Practice Group members are also available to provide:

  • legal analysis of all the relevant primary, excess and umbrella policies in force with a view to determining the coverage available
  • analysis of coverage options prior to the issuance of a policy
  • ongoing advice directed to upgrading existing policy wordings

Defence and Subrogation

The members of the Products Liability Practice Group also have a wealth of experience in aggressively representing their respective clients in defence and subrogation matters.

Each of the individual lawyers in the Practice Group recognizes the need to achieve technical proficiency in the design and manufacture issues relevant to a partic-ular claim. So too, is there a recognition of the need in defence matters to work closely with the Product Manufacturer to defend the reputation of the product and to control negotiation and litigation precedents which may impact upon future claims.

As with any litigation, however, products liability litigation must be cost effective and timely. Accordingly, all Practice Group members are committed to utilizing litigation practices which are geared towards proactive measures and innovative solutions.

Where a Product Manufacturer is facing claims in multiple jurisdictions, it requires carefully co-ordinated and consistently implemented defence strategies. When instructed to do so, Practice Group members from the independent law firms of the Canadian Litigation Counsel are able to work in close collaboration with one another to provide such co-ordination and consistency.

In those jurisdictions where there is class action legislation, Practice Group members are conversant with all procedural and substantive issues which impact upon defending class action claims.

Publications


416.862.5289 | 130 King Street, West | Suite 2700, P.O. Box 136 | The Exchange Tower | Toronto, Ontario, M5X 1C7
Home| About Us | CLC Team | History | Vision & Mission | Contact Us | Member Firms | Global | Practice Groups | Emergency Response | Articles | News | Photos
Contact Webmaster| Client Login| Legal Notice ~ Copyright @ Canadian Litigation Counsel| Law Firm Website powered by Parador