A manufacturer of a consumer product must report if:

(a) A particular model of the product is the subject of at least 3 civil actions filed in Federal or State Court;

(b) Each suit alleges the involvement of that particular model in death or grievous bodily injury;

(c) The manufacturer is—

(1) A party to, or

(2) Is involved in the defense of or has notice of each action prior to entry of a final order, and is involved in the discharge of any obligation owed to plaintiff under the settlement of or in satisfaction of the judgment after adjudication in each of the suits; and

(d) During one of the 24-month periods defined in §1116.2(a), each of the three actions results in either a final settlement involving the manufacturer or in a court judgment in favor of the plaintiff.

For reporting purposes, a multiple plaintiff suit for death or grievous bodily injury is reportable if the suit involves three or more separate incidents of injury. The reporting obligation arises when at least three plaintiffs have settled their claims or when a combination of settled claims and adjudications favorable to plaintiffs reaches three. Multiple lawsuits arising from one incident involving the same product only count as one lawsuit for the purposes of section 37.


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