Senate Bill Would Make It Easier to File Lawsuits Against Foreign Manufacturers

(World Trade Interactive)

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., introduced August 6 the Foreign Manufacturers Legal Accountability Act of 2009, which he said aims to further protect U.S. consumers and businesses from injuries caused by defective products manufactured abroad. Specifically, Whitehouse said in a floor statement, this measure would address the two major legal hurdles facing consumers injured by defective foreign products and businesses whose foreign partners refuse to honor their contracts: the inability to serve process on foreign manufacturers (i.e., give them the legally required notice that it is the subject of a lawsuit) and the ability of foreign manufacturers, even if served, to evade the jurisdiction of U.S. courts. Read more here.