Canada: Product Liability & Safety

The British Columbia Court of Appeal has left open the possibility that pharmaceutical manufacturers may owe a duty of care to develop safer alternatives to their existing products, even when those products are properly approved and labeled. This decision in Gilead Sciences, Inc. v. I.F. contrasts sharply with a recent California Supreme Court ruling that rejected such a "duty to innovate," potentially setting Canada on a divergent path in product liability law.

La Cour supérieure du Québec a autorisé partiellement une action collective contre 13 fabricants automobiles concernant des véhicules équipés de clés intelligentes vulnérables aux attaques-relais. Cette décision soulève des questions importantes sur la responsabilité des fabricants face aux failles de cybersécurité et aborde l'utilisation de l'intelligence artificielle dans la preuve judiciaire.

Health Canada's recent enforcement action against unauthorized injectable peptides signals a regulatory shift that wellness companies cannot afford to ignore. While peptides dominate influencer marketing and online wellness spaces, their legal status in Canada depends on factors far more complex than social media trends suggest. Understanding how route of administration, therapeutic claims, and market authorization intersect is now critical for compliance.

The Omnipod insulin pump system, a widely-used device for diabetes management, faces serious medical device recalls due to manufacturing defects that can compromise insulin delivery. These defects may lead to severe health complications including hyperglycemia and diabetic ketoacidosis, prompting legal investigations into potential claims against manufacturer Insulet Corporation. Canadian users of the recalled devices who have experienced serious health issues are urged to seek legal consultation regarding

This quarter's Ontario class action decisions reveal evolving judicial approaches to parallel proceedings, individual action stays, and the predominance test. Courts examined novel duty-to-recall...

La popularité croissante des produits de soins personnels durables et conformes à une philosophie de beauté saine s’accompagne d’une hausse des risques liés à la publicité trompeuse et à l’écoblanchiment.

Le droit canadien en matière de responsabilité du fabricant continue d'évoluer et, au cours de la dernière année, les tribunaux se sont penchés sur des questions liées aux défauts de conception et de fabrication, aux avertissements inadéquats et à la complexité croissante des chaînes d'approvisionnement modernes.

Canadian product liability law continues to evolve, and in the past year courts examined issues related to design and manufacturing defects, inadequate warnings, and the growing complexity of modern supply chains.

When you purchase a product in British Columbia, you have the right to expect it will be safe for its intended use. Unfortunately, defective products sometimes enter the marketplace, causing serious injuries and financial losses to consumers.