Do you buy your stuff on Amazon?

Maybe you should consider these tidbits from John Ross at Volokh, on what’s been happening in the federal courts:

Pennsylvania woman purchases defective dog collar on Amazon.com. When it breaks, her dog’s retractable leash snaps back and hits her in the face, leaving her permanently blind in one eye. The maker of the collar can’t be located. Can she sue Amazon? The Third Circuit says yes—under both state and federal law. Dissent: The state law claims shouldn’t go forward.

And…

Battery in hoverboard purchased on Amazon.com starts fire, destroys Davidson County, Tenn. family’s home; two children have to jump to safety from the second floor. The family obtains a default judgment against the maker of the hoverboard. Can the family sue Amazon? The Sixth Circuit says yes. Though the state products liability and consumer protection claims are out, the family can go forward on its tort claim that Amazon should’ve done more when it discovered the dangerousness of hoverboards.

Or maybe don’t buy dangerous items like dog collars on Amazon. Stick to soft stuff. Scarves, maybe. No, wait, a Bugatti wheel could strangle you with your scarf.

What would be safe on Amazon? Hm. I don’t know. I don’t use it.

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