The right is generally happy to devolve decisions about education or health care to the states, notes Charles Fried, a professor of law at Harvard and former solicitor-general, but not product-liability rules and other forms of business regulation.

ECONOMIST: Republicans are for states�� rights��when it suits them

"One case doesn't tell us much, " says Carl Tobias, who teaches product liability law at the University of Richmond.

FORBES: Merck Wins Battle, Faces War

"It's not a benefit for Merck, " says Carl Tobias, a professor at the University of Richmond who teaches product liability law.

FORBES: Hung Jury Leaves Merck Up In The Air

Supporters of the plaintiffs say product-liability law is designed to prod manufacturers into producing safer products.

FORBES: Vaccine Case Brings Out The Instrumentalist In All Of Us

The question of product liability would be best left to civil law.

ECONOMIST: Shopping for a drugs policy

The tide started to turn in 1985, when the European Commission passed a"product liability"directive, since adopted as law by all of the European Community member states.

FORBES: Sue Everywhere

"These are radical proposals, "says Harvey Kaplan, a pharmaceuticals industry defense lawyer in Kansas City, Mo. who is spreading the word among the defense bar as cochair of the Defense Research Institute's committee on European product liability law.

FORBES: Sue Everywhere

"These are radical proposals, " says Harvey Kaplan, a pharmaceuticals industry defense lawyer in Kansas City, Missouri, who is spreading the word to the defense bar as cochair of the Defense Research Institute's committee on European product liability law.

FORBES: Sue Everywhere

The tide started to turn in 1985, when the European Commission passed a "product liability" directive, since adopted as law by all the member states of the European Community.

FORBES: Sue Everywhere