U.S. manufacturers of hazardous products often speak and label their products in only one language: English. When people whose primary language is not English are injured or die using these products, will they or their families have product liability causes of action based on missing foreign-language warnings?
As with many legal questions, the answer is “maybe.” With few court decisions or statutes to shed light on product makers’ duties in this area, the issue is far from settled and likely will become more prominent as the number of people whose primary language is not English continues to increase in the United States.
