Mass production and changes in distribution chains have severely restricted the power of the seller and the buyer to use their own skill and judgement. As a result, 'product liability' has developed into a distinct area of legal regulation. Traditional legal techniques, such as the warranty against latent defects in contract and fault in tort, proved inadequate safeguards. This examination of western-European legal systems combines legal history and comparative law to demonstrate how tort law has adapted to meet these new conditions.