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The Perils of Defective Documentation

Preparing Business and Technical Communicators to Avoid Products Liability

Shirk and Smith Management Consulting

HENRIETTA NICKELS SHIRK

University of North Texas

Because of our increasingly litigious workplace, it is theoretically, educationally, and pragmatically imperative that business and technical communicators become familiar with and informed about the legal issues surrounding products liability. This article explains the products liability theories of negligence, breach of warranty, and strict liability in relation to the publication of defective product information. It also examines the legal implications of printed media and written communications (such as safety, instructional, and promotional information) as integral parts of marketed products. Finally, it cautions all professional communicators concerning their personal legal responsibility for the accuracy and effectiveness of product documentation from the perspective of the ordinary, uninformed consumer, and it offers several guidelines for writing and organizing to avoid products liability lawsuits.

Journal of Business and Technical Communication, Vol. 10, No. 2, 187-202 (1996)
DOI: 10.1177/1050651996010002004


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