S. HRG. 99-1005

PRODUCT LIABILITY REFORM ACT

HEARINGS

BEFORE THE

COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY
UNITED STATES SENATE

NINETY-NINTH CONGRESS

SECOND SESSION

ON

S. 2760

A BILL TO REGULATE INTERSTATE COMMERCE BY PROVIDING FOR A UNIFORM PRODUCT LIABILITY LAW, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

SEPTEMBER 9 AND 10, 1986

Serial No. J-99-127

Printed for the use of the Committee on the Judiciary

65-678 O

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON: 1987

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Congressional Sales Office
U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402

CONTENTS

STATEMENTS OF MEMBERS

Hatch, Hon. Orrin G., a U.S. Senator from the State of Utah, Chairman,
Subcommittee on the Constitution.

Grassley, Charles E., a U.S. Senator from the State of Iowa
McConnell, Mitch, a U.S. Senator from the State of Kentucky.
Heflin, Howell T., a U.S. Senator from the State of Alabama.
Simon, Paul, a U.S. Senator from the State of Illinois....
Biden, Joseph R., Jr., a U.S. Senator from the State of Delaware.
Metzenbaum, Howard M., a U.S. Senator from the State of Ohio.
Thurmond, Strom, a U.S. Senator from the State of South Carolina.
Broyhill, James T., a U.S. Senator from the State of North Carolina
Specter, Arlen, a U.S. Senator from the State of Pennsylvania......

PROPOSED LEGISLATION

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S. 2760, a bill to regulate interstate commerce by providing for a uniform
product liability law, and for other purposes

CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF WITNESSES

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1986

Willard, Richard K., assistant attorney general, Department of Justice...

Brown, Charles G., attorney general, State of West Virginia....

Panel consisting of: James K. Coyne, president, American Tort Reform Asso-

ciation; John B. Curcio, National Association of Manufacturers; and John J.

Motley III, director of Federal legislative affairs, National Federation of

Independent Business...

Panel consisting of: Hon. Edward R. Zuccaro, a representative in the Vermont

House of Representatives, on behalf of the National Conference of State

Legislatures; Philip J. Hermann, chairman of the board, Jury Verdict Re-

search, Inc.; and Robert Roper, National Center for State Courts.......

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1986

Danforth, John, a U.S. Senator from the State of Missouri.

Kasten, Robert W., a U.S. Senator from the State of Wisconsin..

Panel consisting of: Robert J. Habush, president, Association of Trial Lawyers

of America; John E.S. Scott; Dickinson, Wright, Moon, Van Dusen & Free-

man; and Kendall Few, Few & Glenn....

Panel consisting of: Jan E. Smith, U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Leslie Cheek,

- vice president, Federal affairs, Crum & Forster Insurance Cos.; R.C. Riley,

on behalf of Independent Insurance Agents of America, Inc.; and Jay

Angoff, counsel, National Insurance Consumers Organization.....

Panel consisting of: Marshall S. Shapo, Northwestern University Law School;

Gene Kimmelman, legislative director, Consumer Federation of America;

Linda Lipsen, legislative counsel, Consumer's Union; Joseph Goffman, staff

attorney, Public Citizen's Congress Watch; and Ernie DuBester, assistant to

the director, legislative department, American Federation of Labor and

Congress of Industrial Organizations.

Panel consisting of: David G. Owen, University of South Carolina; Victor E.

Schwartz, Crowell & Moring; and Sol Schreiber, Millberg, Weiss, Bershad,

Specthrie & Lerach..