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 drugmaker insists, however, that the Alabama State Court goofed by allowing the consumer to circumvent state product liability law and, instead, present his claim as fraud and misrepresentation.

FORBES: Pfizer Wants Court To Rehear Generic Labeling Case And Avoid Tort Hell

"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

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

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

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

ECONOMIST: Shopping for a drugs policy

"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