Are manufacturers ever morally responsible for deaths caused by use of their products? why or why not?

Question

I think the answer is yes. I would like to know about ur ideas.

I think the answer is yes. I would like to know your ideas. and for Why or why not? can you tell me the reason which base on Business Ethics

Answer 1

Excellent example of not: I was part of the jury pool for a trial where a family was suing a gun manufacturer for wrongful death. Why? Because they had left the gun UNLOCKED and LOADED in their dresser, and a teenage friend found it and accidentally shot their son. They were suing because they claimed that if the gun manufacturer had included a trigger lock then the incident never would have happened. I've known enough stupid gun owners to know that you could have sold that family a gun encased in Lucite with each individual bullet shrink-wrapped, and that gun would have still been unlocked and loaded in the dresser "for our protection -- if someone breaks in we wouldn't have time to mess with a trigger lock". In this case, I do not consider the gun manufacturer morally responsible -- they were selling a legal product that functioned in exactly the manner it was supposed to. The people who purchased it were idiots. If I buy a paper cutter and proceed to cut off my own hand, is it the manufacturer's fault?

Excellent example of yes: The Ford Crown Victoria killed over a dozen police officers in rear-end collisions because of poor fuel tank design. Ford fixed the problem in police models, but CONTINUED TO SELL the faulty cars to civilians. Thus, Ford knowingly made a decision to sell cars with faulty gas tanks to an unsuspecting public. They are fully morally responsible for every injury and death caused by those fuel tanks.

P.S. An obvious corollary question is, "Since the primary purpose of a handgun is to kill human beings, is it ever morally OK to manufacture them?" THAT would a heated debate!

Answer 2

When you use the word "ever" you make the question meaningless. I'm certain there has been a single instance wherein a manufacturer was morally responsible.

Answer 3

I am sure there are cases. But to me people who buy and ue things ned to be responsible in how or if they use them. Of course the law makes more than need to be responsible that is why there are so many warnings on everything and notes about misuse.