North Carolina House Nixes Drugmakers’ Product Liability Protection

Efforts by business leaders to give companies more protections from North Carolina product liability lawsuits appear derailed in the House.

A House panel this week endorsed a Senate measure that previously would have made it harder for people to sue pharmaceutical companies over products if they met federal regulations and warned of side effects. That’s been left out of the new version.

The original measure would have protected any company that designed, manufactured or sold a product that met regulatory standards. The North Carolina Chamber backs such liability protections. Critics say they could prevent consumers from suing years later over previously undiscovered problems.

The bill going to the full House only contains procedures governing contingency fee agreements between the state and private attorneys.