This book provides a grounding in the principles of product liability and examines how they have been tackled by different legal systems. In particular the author looks at European developments against the background of, for example, the United States, where the concern to protect consumers of defective products has led to something of a products liability crisis - large damage awards plus strict liability have meant that it is difficult for some industries to obtain insurance - and New Zealand, where a no fault compensation scheme operates. The book provides an understanding of the process by which European laws are harmonized, by analyzing the European Directive on Product Liability - and assesses how effective the measures taken have been in the European Community and elsewhere.