IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/cde/cdewps/110.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Characterization of Efficient Product Liability Rules: When Consumers are Imperfectly Informed

Author

Listed:
  • Ram Singh

    (Delhi School of Economics)

Abstract

Product liability has acquired immense importance in the last 50 years. Various studies show that when consumers are imperfectly informed about the product related risk, the market mechanism will not lead to an efficient outcome and tort liability is required for economic efficiency. Many product-caused injuries are governed by liability rules. In this paper efficiency properties of the entire class of product liability rules when consumers are imperfectly informed about the product related risk are studied in a unified framework. A necessary and sufficient condition for efficiency of a product liability rule is derived. The analysis is carried out in a somewhat more general framework.

Suggested Citation

  • Ram Singh, 2002. "Characterization of Efficient Product Liability Rules: When Consumers are Imperfectly Informed," Working papers 110, Centre for Development Economics, Delhi School of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:cde:cdewps:110
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.cdedse.org/pdf/work110.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Beales, Howard & Craswell, Richard & Salop, Steven, 1981. "Information Remedies for Consumer Protection," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 71(2), pages 410-413, May.
    2. Jones, Philip & Hudson, John, 1996. "Signalling product quality: When is price relevant?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 30(2), pages 257-266, August.
    3. N. Draper, 1992. "Book review," Metrika: International Journal for Theoretical and Applied Statistics, Springer, vol. 39(1), pages 106-106, December.
    4. R. Lasser, 1992. "Book review," Metrika: International Journal for Theoretical and Applied Statistics, Springer, vol. 39(1), pages 94-94, December.
    5. Steven Shavell, 2003. "Economic Analysis of Accident Law," NBER Working Papers 9483, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Edward E. Schlee, 1996. "The Value of Information About Product Quality," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 27(4), pages 803-815, Winter.
    7. R. Wiegert, 1992. "Book review," Metrika: International Journal for Theoretical and Applied Statistics, Springer, vol. 39(1), pages 268-268, December.
    8. Milgrom, Paul & Roberts, John, 1986. "Price and Advertising Signals of Product Quality," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 94(4), pages 796-821, August.
    9. Grossman, Sanford J, 1981. "The Informational Role of Warranties and Private Disclosure about Product Quality," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 24(3), pages 461-483, December.
    10. H. Heyer, 1992. "Book review," Metrika: International Journal for Theoretical and Applied Statistics, Springer, vol. 39(1), pages 218-218, December.
    11. Michael Spence, 1977. "Consumer Misperceptions, Product Failure and Producer Liability," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 44(3), pages 561-572.
    12. Beales, Howard & Craswell, Richard & Salop, Steven C, 1981. "The Efficient Regulation of Consumer Information," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 24(3), pages 491-539, December.
    13. Bagwell, Kyle & Riordan, Michael H, 1991. "High and Declining Prices Signal Product Quality," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 81(1), pages 224-239, March.
    14. Walter Y. Oi, 1973. "The Economics of Product Safety," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 4(1), pages 3-28, Spring.
    15. Satish K. Jain & Ram Singh, 2002. "Efficient Liability Rules: Complete Characterization," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 75(2), pages 105-124, March.
    16. W. Kip Viscusi, 1991. "Product and Occupational Liability," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 5(3), pages 71-91, Summer.
    17. R. Jaikumar, 1992. "Book Review," Foreign Trade Review, , vol. 27(1), pages 103-105, April.
    18. Burrows, Paul, 1992. "Consumer safety under products liability and duty to disclose," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 12(4), pages 457-478, December.
    19. James Boyd, 1994. "Risk, Liability, and Monopoly," International Journal of the Economics of Business, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 1(3), pages 387-403.
    20. Marilyn J. Simon, 1981. "Imperfect Information, Costly Litigation, and Product Quality," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 12(1), pages 171-184, Spring.
    21. Roland N. McKean, 1970. "Products Liability: Implications of Some Changing Property Rights," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 84(4), pages 611-626.
    22. R. Dutter, 1992. "Book review," Metrika: International Journal for Theoretical and Applied Statistics, Springer, vol. 39(1), pages 238-238, December.
    23. A. Michael Spence, 1975. "Monopoly, Quality, and Regulation," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 6(2), pages 417-429, Autumn.
    24. John Kambhu, 1982. "Optimal Product Quality under Asymmetric Information and Moral Hazard," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 13(2), pages 483-492, Autumn.
    25. Marino, Anthony M., 1988. "Products liability and scale effects in a long-run competitive equilibrium," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 8(1), pages 97-107, June.
    26. Dennis E. Smallwood & John Conlisk, 1979. "Product Quality in Markets Where Consumers are Imperfectly Informed," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 93(1), pages 1-23.
    27. Alan Schwartz & Louis L. Wilde, 1985. "Product Quality and Imperfect Information," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 52(2), pages 251-262.
    28. Miceli, Thomas J., 1997. "Economics of the Law: Torts, Contracts, Property, Litigation," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780195103908.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ram Singh, 2009. "RISK, INFORMATIONAL ASYMMETRY AND PRODUCT LIABILITY: An Enquiry Into Conflicting Objectives," Pacific Economic Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 14(1), pages 89-112, February.
    2. Daughety, Andrew F & Reinganum, Jennifer F, 1995. "Product Safety: Liability, R&D, and Signaling," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 85(5), pages 1187-1206, December.
    3. Joaquín Coleff, 2020. "Can consumer complaints reduce product reliability? Should we worry?," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(1), pages 74-96, January.
    4. Hoffmann, Sandra A. & Hanemann, W. Michael, 2005. "Torts and the Protection of "Legally Recognized" Interests," Discussion Papers 10472, Resources for the Future.
    5. Soudipta Chakraborty & Robert Swinney, 2021. "Signaling to the Crowd: Private Quality Information and Rewards-Based Crowdfunding," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 23(1), pages 155-169, 1-2.
    6. Raphael Boleslavsky & Christopher S. Cotton & Haresh Gurnani, 2017. "Demonstrations and Price Competition in New Product Release," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 63(6), pages 2016-2026, June.
    7. Kenneth S. Corts, 2013. "Prohibitions on False and Unsubstantiated Claims: Inducing the Acquisition and Revelation of Information through Competition Policy," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 56(2), pages 453-486.
    8. Zhang, Juan & Huang, Jian, 2020. "Deceptive advertising in a crowdfunding market," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    9. George, Donald A R, 2012. "Technical progress and product reliability under competition and monopoly," SIRE Discussion Papers 2012-23, Scottish Institute for Research in Economics (SIRE).
    10. Daniela Rroshi & Michael Weichselbaumer, 2021. "What is in a price? Evidence on quality signaling for experience goods," Department of Economics Working Papers wuwp311, Vienna University of Economics and Business, Department of Economics.
    11. Donald A R George, 2014. "Segmentation in Consumer Durables Markets," International Journal of Business Administration, International Journal of Business Administration, Sciedu Press, vol. 5(2), pages 13-22, March.
    12. Noll, Juergen, 2004. "Comparing quality signals as tools of consumer protection: are warranties always better than advertisements to promote higher product quality?," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(2), pages 227-239, June.
    13. Andrew F. Daughety & Jennifer F. Reinganum, 2008. "Communicating quality: a unified model of disclosure and signalling," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 39(4), pages 973-989, December.
    14. Michael Faure & Shu Li, 0. "Risk shifting in the context of 3D printing: an insurability perspective," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 0, pages 1-26.
    15. Schmidbauer, Eric & Lubensky, Dmitry, 2018. "New and improved?," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 26-48.
    16. Takaoka, Sumiko, 2005. "The effects of product liability costs on R&D with asymmetric information," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 17(1), pages 59-81, January.
    17. Donald A. R. George, 2011. "Technical progress and product reliability under competition and monopoly," Edinburgh School of Economics Discussion Paper Series 211, Edinburgh School of Economics, University of Edinburgh.
    18. Ganesh Iyer & Shubhranshu Singh, 2018. "Voluntary Product Safety Certification," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 64(2), pages 695-714, February.
    19. Michael Faure & Shu Li, 2020. "Risk shifting in the context of 3D printing: an insurability perspective," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 45(3), pages 482-507, July.
    20. Jonathan B. Berk & Jules H. Van Binsbergen, 2022. "Regulation of Charlatans in High‐Skill Professions," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 77(2), pages 1219-1258, April.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Product Risk; total accident costs; efficient product liability rules; social benefits; negligent consumer's liability; imperfect information; Nash equilibrium.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • K13 - Law and Economics - - Basic Areas of Law - - - Tort Law and Product Liability; Forensic Economics

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:cde:cdewps:110. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sanjeev Sharma (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/cdudein.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.