"I don't think it has a positive or negative implication," he said, adding that the jury would determine whether to assess liability against the manufacturers "based on the evidence."

It is time to fix our system of assessing medical liability.

Jack Lamberton, an analyst at NatWest Securities, said it was too soon to assess potential liability.

It is time to revamp the entire system of assessing medical liability.

The plaintiff's status as a trespasser is irrelevant when assessing liability in this case.

The airlines and the T.S.A. have not yet been able to agree on a formula for assessing liability for claims, since checked bags pass through the hands of employees from both.

The Japanese ship, a floating factory that processes fish on board, went down in international waters, complicating efforts to assess full liability for the spill.

By the time a court can assess liability, firms, products, and the marketplace are likely to have changed dramatically.

But the legal scramble to assign blame and assess liability for the crash began in October and has gained momentum in recent weeks.

The concept is used in assessing liability, be it for careless driving or for faulty professional services, known as malpractice.