THE NEW Consumer Protection Act of 2008, which is expected to come into full operation in October, introduces drastic remedies for consumers who suffer death, injury or illness, or the loss of, or physical damage to movable or immovable property as a result of having been supplied unsafe or defective goods.
Section 61 of the act also deals with consumers who are given inadequate warnings or instructions regarding hazards that may arise from using the goods supplied.
Once the act comes into effect on October 24, a consumer will be entitled to claim compensation for harm suffered in respect of any defective goods supplied to the consumer since April 24.
The inadequate protection offered by current consumer rights legislation will be repealed and replaced by the act, which contains a plethora of consumer rights aimed at protecting consumers from having to agree to unfair contract terms when purchasing goods or services.
This article deals only with the product liability provisions contained in section 61.
All manufacturers and suppliers of the goods which have caused harm to consumers in the manner specified in the section, are jointly and severally liable for that harm, as well as for any economic loss which a consumer may suffer indirectly as a result of that harm. Section 61 applies to all goods that are supplied to a consumer, even if the supplier is exempt from complying with the provisions of the act.
Therefore, to claim compensation, a consumer need only prove that the supplier supplied the goods to the consumer and the consumer suffered harm as a result of using the goods. This is commonly referred to as "no fault liability" because the consumer does not have to prove negligence on the part of the supplier. Any party in the supply chain is open to a product liability claim by the consumer due to liability being joint and several.
Among other things, if the supplier can prove that the defect did not exist in the goods at the time they were supplied by that supplier to another supplier, or that it would be unreasonable to expect the supplier to have discovered the defect considering the supplier's role in supplying the goods, the supplier may escape or minimise its liability under section 61.
A consumer's claim under section 61 prescribes within three years after the harm is suffered or discovered, or three years after the latest date on which the consumer suffers economic loss as a result of such harm. If a consumer suffers a loss of income which continues for an indefinite period, the claim may never prescribe.
Since liability will effectively arise from April 24, we strongly recommend that suppliers of goods take immediate action to assess their risk and implement preventative measures to minimise their liability under the act from that date.
In particular, suppliers should ensure that their insurance cover provides sufficient cover for product liability claims. It is anticipated that such cover will come at a substantial cost to the supplier. It is quite likely that such costs will be passed on to the consumer in the form of higher prices.
When the act is fully operational, suppliers of goods and services will not be permitted to contract with consumers on terms which have the purpose, or effect, of depriving consumers of any of the consumer rights contained in the act. This means that suppliers will no longer be able to contract out of, or contractually limit their product liability as in the past.
Claire McGee is an associate partner of Shepstone & Wylie Attorneys.