Uniform Product Liability Act

Uniform Product Liability Act - Sets forth uniform standards for State product liability tort laws. States that a product liability claim provided by this Act shall be in lieu of all existing claims against product sellers for harms caused by a product, and may be successfully maintained under this Act even where the claimant did not buy the product from or enter into any contractual relationship with the product seller.

Subjects a product seller to liability if the claimant proves by a preponderance of the evidence that the product was defective in construction, design, or that adequate warnings or instructions were not provided.

Sets forth evidentiary rules with respect to changes in product design, in the "state of the art" (that is, knowledge in existence and reasonably feasible for use at the time of manufacture), and industry custom.

Allows a product seller to move that the court determine whether the injury-causing aspect of the product conformed to administrative or legislative standards.

Specifies notice requirements and the length of time for which product sellers are subject to liability for harm caused by their products.

Sets forth rules with respect to third-party alteration of a product, comparative responsibility, and claimants' conduct.

States that manufacturers shall be responsible for defective conditions in their products, with specified exceptions, and that other product sellers (in the absence of express warranties to the contrary) shall not be subject to liability where they do not have a reasonable opportunity to reveal such defective condition.

Allows either party to move for a pretrial arbitration proceeding if the amount in dispute is less than $30,000 and the court determines that any nonmonetary claims are insubstantial. Specifies the rules governing such arbitration proceedings. Allows either party to demand a new trial within 20 days of the filing of the arbitration award, but subjects such party which fails to obtain a more favorable judgment to arbitration costs.

Sets forth rules with respect to expert testimony, nonpecuniary damages, a claimant's recovery from collateral sources, and punitive damages.