Second-Impact Doctrine Law and Legal Definition
Second impact doctrine is a principle of tort law which states that manufacturers are only liable for enhanced or aggravated injuries attributable to the alleged product defect and plaintiffs must establish that the design defect caused the enhanced injuries. Second-Impact doctrine of negligence, was originally expounded in Larsen v. General Motors Corp., 391 F.2d 495 (8th Cir. 1968) where the court held that an automobile manufacturer has a duty to design its vehicles in such manner that reasonably protects the occupants from enhanced injuries in the event of a collision.
Second-Impact Doctrine is also known as crashworthiness doctrine and second collision doctrine.
