The Chief wrote:fatdad wrote: Most if not all of the discussion that's taken place has been hypothetical. It's all the doomsayers that have been crying about lawsuits that haven't even taken place.
Thank YOU!
This has been my point all along.
Climb at your own risk and be prepared for the worst, regardless of the amount or quality of gear you own/have.
The best piece of gear in your arsenal, your Brain and the common sense that resides within it. USE IT!
Maybe I missed where you were coming from originally, but I totally agree with you on that point. Your smarts and experience are by FAR your best protection. Period.
My only point is if a product is clearly defective (not one that fails because of poor placement, a huge impact, etc.), you should be able to sue the manufacturer. Deciding who contributed more to the accident when you're talking about climbers and their gear will likely be really tricky, but on a theoretical level, manufacturers of climbing gear should be no different than others.