§2084 Information Reporting

Summary

If a single model of a consumer product is linked to at least three civil lawsuits in state or federal court that ended in either a final settlement by the manufacturer or a judgment for the plaintiff for death or serious injury during the same 24-month reporting period, the product maker must tell the Commission about each of those cases. The maker must file the first report within 30 days after the settlement or judgment in the third such case, and must report any later settlement or judgment in that same 24-month period within 30 days. The 24-month periods begin on January 1, 1991, and then start again every two years on January 1. Each report must give the maker’s name and address, the product model and model number, say whether the case alleged death or a grievous bodily injury (and which kind of grievous injury), and say if the case ended in a settlement or a plaintiff’s judgment. If there was a judgment, the report must include the case name, case number, and court. The maker may also say if a judgment is on appeal or add any other details it wants. The maker does not have to list settlement amounts and the report is not an admission that the product was defective or caused an unreasonable or imminent danger. Grievous injuries include things like amputation, severe burns, loss of major body functions, and injuries likely to need long hospital stays. A “model” means a product version that is different in design, warnings, user group, or other safety‑related features.