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Product liability in Michigan
Harm caused by a defective or unreasonably dangerous product. Appeals in these cases run to the Michigan Supreme Court, through 2 intermediate appellate courts.
What our library holds for Michigan: we do not yet hold Michigan case law, and we will not pretend otherwise — this page states the generally recognized framework, not Michigan-specific rules. What does work for Michigan today: citation checking against 18,123,788 citations covering every U.S. reporter including Michigan's, and that state's courts and official self-help resources. Deep libraries are being added state by state, Texas first.
The generally recognized elements
These elements are recognized across U.S. jurisdictions; the wording, the burden, and the exceptions vary by state, so confirm them against Michigan authority before relying on them.
- The product was defective in design, manufacture, or warning
- The defect existed when it left the defendant's control
- The product was used as intended or foreseeably misused
- The defect caused the injury and damages
What actually decides these cases
Which defect theory applies. Manufacturing defects (this unit was wrong), design defects (every unit is dangerous), and failure-to-warn are proved differently, and many states apply strict liability rather than negligence — meaning fault is not the question, the product's condition is.
Defenses you should expect
- Substantial alteration of the product
- Unforeseeable misuse
- State-of-the-art design at the time
- Assumption of risk
Before you rely on anything
Check the citations
If a letter, a filing, or an AI answer cites a Michigan case to you, verify it exists — free, instant, against every U.S. reporter. Fabricated citations are the most common way people are misled about their own case.
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This page states generally recognized legal frameworks for orientation; it is not legal advice, not Michigan-specific legal guidance, and not a substitute for a lawyer or for reading the authority that governs your case. Statutes of limitation are short and vary by state and claim — if you may have a claim, find out your deadline immediately from your state's courts or a lawyer.