avoid product liability lawsuits

[Ohmyfuzzy]

A couple of people and I are wanting to sell custom car products for show as in carbon fiber and metal works on automotive forums. We are doing this out of my house and not looking to start a business at this time just looking to do this for fun and on the side. We want to avoid being responsible if people want to use the products for anything but show (IE racing, daily driving). We plan to build products from exhaust manifolds to strut tower bars and even carbon fiber interior. Is there anything that needs to be stated during the post as in "show and off road use only". Just something like vis, wings west and other aftermarket part dealers uses to state that there not held responsible for damages?

Thanks

 

[Silverplum]

A couple of people and I are wanting to sell custom car products for show as in carbon fiber and metal works on automotive forums. We are doing this out of my house and not looking to start a business at this time just looking to do this for fun and on the side. We want to avoid being responsible if people want to use the products for anything but show (IE racing, daily driving). We plan to build products from exhaust manifolds to strut tower bars and even carbon fiber interior. Is there anything that needs to be stated during the post as in "show and off road use only". Just something like vis, wings west and other aftermarket part dealers uses to state that there not held responsible for damages?

Thanks

Sorry, U.S. law only.

 

[single317dad]

A few (not very well structured) thoughts for you, OP:

People can still be injured by your product, even if it isn't intended for on-road use. A strut, for example, could suddenly break during installation and impale a person (pretty easily, I might add).

Also, if you're manufacturing and selling products, you're operating a business. Just because you don't properly register that business doesn't mean you're not running one.

As an example, let me relate the story of a local car wash chain. Most car washes in the area have signs "We are not responsible for damages". Well, that's BS. If your car wash rips my car apart, I'm suing you. Mike's Car Wash has a different sign: "We ARE responsible for damages, therefore (paraphrasing) we can't wash cars with loose body parts, automatic antennas unless retracted, excessive rust, defective latches, fancy spoilers, etc."

If someone chooses to use your automotive part on the road and it causes damage, you may or may not be held responsible, but you'll pay out the nose for a lawyer anyway. Simply putting a disclaimer on a product does not release you from liability (or the need to defend yourself if sued).

What if someone buys the part second-hand and the warning label is gone?