Products liability doctrine holds a manufacturer, or other party involved in selling a product, strictly liable when an article, placed into the market with knowledge that it is to be used without inspection for defects, proves to have a defect that causes a personal injury. Consumers who are injured because of a fault with a product that the consumers had no ability to protect themselves against may recover against the manufacturer under a theory of products liability.
Locust Fork is a town in Blount County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 1,016 people. As of 2007, the estimated population has risen to 1156 which is an increase of 12%. The community name comes from the proximity of the town to the Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River. The Locust Fork area has and continues to see strong residential growth mainly due to outflow from Jefferson County as residents there seek a more rural environment as well as a lower tax structure than is found in Jefferson County. As a result of this growth, enrollment in schools has risen substantially. Also, traffic along the main highway artery Alabama State Route 79 has risen and the road has become increasingly dangerous between the termination of a divided highway four lane just north of Pinson and Locust Fork. There has been some discussion of upgrading the road to four lane status but such work is still considered several years away. Locust Fork will also be impacted by the eventual construction of the Northern Beltline, which is slated to cross Alabama State Route 79 just north of Pinson. This controlled access highway (officially designatged as Interstate 422) will provide much quicker access for Locust Fork residents traveling east to Trussville or westward to Gardendale, Graysville, and Tuscaloosa. However, this route is still 10–15 years away from completion.