What is Manufacturing Law?
Manufacturing Laws are those regulations and statutes that relate to the manufacturing industry. While much has been made of the decline of manufacturing in the U.S. over the past 50 years, the industry remains an important part of the American economy, and, as such, an important part of the American legal landscape. Manufacturing contributes nearly $2 trillion to the country’s gross domestic product annually. As such, there are significant amounts at stake in cases pertaining to manufacturing practices.
Product Liability
A major issue for some manufacturers, particularly automakers, is dealing with alleged product defects. These types of cases can be very lucrative for plaintiffs attorneys, so they are of prime interest to those specializing in personal injury and auto cases. An entire industry has grown up around the legal profession for these types of cases, including the experts and testing procedures necessary to determine whether the blame for an accident is the fault of a manufacturer or a driver.
Consolidation
Because of the changing face of American manufacturing, consolidation has been a trend for manufacturers for a number of years. As such, manufacturing laws can also be considered to bleed into the areas of corporate formation, governance, and mergers. When one company acquires or merges with another, it may not simply acquire its assets, but also any liability for the products it manufactured prior to the merger.
Advertising and Marketing
Another area manufacturers often have to be aware of is the law pertaining to marketing and advertising their products. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) monitors these matters and promulgates rules, such as what advertisements must say and what they must not, preventing false and misleading claims, standards for representations about “green” products, and so forth.
Employment and Labor
Of course, no product can reach the market without the labor of human beings. That means there is always an opportunity for issues related to employment and labor. Indeed, manufacturers are often prime targets for organized labor issues like unions, collective bargaining, and strikes.
The manufacturing industry faces many tough legal challenges and laws affecting these industries cross into many other areas of legal practice. For more information about manufacturing laws, please review the materials below. Additionally, you can find an attorney in your area who can assist you with your questions or claims by visiting our Law Firms page.
