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Attorney Authored

From Life-Saving to Lethal: Product Liability After a Cyberattack

June 21, 2016

By Chris McGrath, Thomas Counts, Beau Stockstill & Danielle Decker

A hacker breaking into your email and stealing your passwords is bad. A hacker delivering a fatal dose through your insulin pump or remotely disabling your carʼs braking system is far worse. The Internet of Things presents significant challenges for cybersecurity, and exposes innovative manufacturers to untested claims for product liability. Although case law is virtually nonexistent, manufacturersʼ legal vulnerabilities are not. The historic framework for strict liability and negligence claims will inevitably be grafted onto claims for physical harm resulting from cybercrime directed toward connected devices. Regardless of the legal nuances courts ultimately apply, manufacturers can limit their potential liability with five proactive steps.

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Practice Areas

Litigation

Internet of Things

Data Privacy and Cybersecurity


For More Information

Image: Thomas A. Counts
Thomas A. Counts

Partner, Litigation Department

Image: Beau Stockstill
Beau Stockstill

Of Counsel, Litigation Department

Image: Christopher H. McGrath
Christopher H. McGrath

Partner, Litigation Department

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