Ellis George LLP Partner, Dennis Ellis, presented an argument in front of the Georgia Supreme Court regarding a state law that could impact cases alleging harm from cumulative use of hair relaxer products over time. The Georgia state law imposes a ten year time limit on product liability claims. In cases alleging injury from long-term continuous use, these claims must be filed within ten years from either the first or last time the plaintiff used the product.
According to the argument presented by Ellis George LLP attorneys, the state’s time limit on product liability is clear. “The legislature was trying to minimize and put boundaries on liability in the insurance context for product liability. It decided that 10 years was long enough”, said Dennis Ellis. When asked what happens if some products were purchased within the statute of repose while others were not, Ellis emphasized the importance of adhering to the statue’s language. “It may be unyielding and it may be absolute but this (court) is a body that interprets statutes and this one is not ambiguous, it is clear” he said.
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