What Is The "Sophisticated User" Doctrine?
If you are a worker who became ill after exposure to asbestos, and if part of your legal case involves claims against a manufacturer of a product containing asbestos, you may hear of the "sophisticated user" doctrine. There's a possibility that the defendant manufacturer may try to show that because you are a professional who is familiar with the risks inherent in products containing asbestos, that they bore no responsibility to warn you of these dangers. In short, warning sophisticated users of the dangers of certain products would be akin to warning a blacksmith that fire is hot: it's simply not necessary.
