If a defective product injured you, made you ill, killed a family member, or damaged your property, you can file a product liability claim before a Consumer Commission under Chapter VI of the Consumer Protection Act 2019. This is a no-fault route: you do not have to prove the company was careless, only that the product was defective and that it caused you harm. You ask for compensation for the harm, not just a refund.

I learned the difference the hard way. A relative bought a cheap electric geyser that short-circuited and burned a wall and her arm. We first filed an ordinary “deficiency” complaint asking for a refund, and the case felt weak. Once we reframed it as a product liability action for the harm caused, the claim made far more sense. That is why I want to lay this out clearly for you.

A normal consumer complaint is usually about a defect or poor service and asks for a repair, replacement, or refund. A product liability action is about harm a defective product caused to you, your health, or your property. Section 82 of the Act says Chapter VI applies to every claim for compensation for harm caused by a defective product. The big advantage is the no-fault standard, explained below.

Any consumer or affected person who suffered harm from a defective product can bring a product liability action. Under Section 83, you can sue any of three parties, alone or together:

• The product manufacturer, who made the product.
• The product service provider, who serviced or handled it.
• The product seller, who sold it to you.

The law has a wide meaning of “harm”. Under the definition in Section 2 of the Act, harm in a product liability claim includes damage to your property other than the product itself, personal injury, illness or death, and the mental agony or emotional distress that comes with that injury, illness, or property damage. It does not cover pure commercial or economic loss, or damage to the product itself. So a faulty phone that simply stops working is an ordinary complaint, but a phone battery that explodes and burns your hand is a product liability claim.

A product is treated as defective when it has a manufacturing fault, a design fault, deviates from specifications, fails to match an express warranty, or lacks the instructions and warnings needed to use it safely.

This is the heart of Chapter VI. Section 84 says a manufacturer is liable if the product has a manufacturing defect, is defective in design, deviates from manufacturing specifications, does not conform to the express warranty, or fails to carry adequate instructions or warnings. Section 84(2) goes further: a manufacturer is liable even if it proves it was not negligent or fraudulent in making the express warranty. In plain words, “we followed every process and were not careless” is not a defence if the product was defective and hurt you.

Section 85 covers the service provider, who is liable if the service was faulty, deficient, or inadequate, if there was negligence or an act or omission that caused harm, if proper warnings were not given, or if the service did not match the warranty or contract.

Section 86 covers a seller who is not the manufacturer. Such a seller is liable when it exercised substantial control over the design, testing, manufacture, packaging or labelling, altered or modified the product, made its own express warranty, sold the product where the manufacturer is not known, or failed to take reasonable care in assembling, inspecting or maintaining it.

1. Confirm it is a harm claim. Write down exactly what the product was, what went wrong, and the injury, illness, death, or property damage it caused.
2. Pick the right Commission by value. Jurisdiction depends on the value of the consideration you paid for the goods or services, not on the compensation you are claiming. As notified under the 2021 jurisdiction rules, the District Commission handles value up to fifty lakh rupees, the State Commission above fifty lakh and up to two crore rupees, and the National Commission above two crore rupees.
3. Send a written notice first if you can. A clear notice to the manufacturer or seller, with photos and bills, sometimes settles the matter and always strengthens your record.
4. Register on e-Daakhil. Create an account on the official portal at https://edaakhil.nic.in and verify your email. You can also file in person at the Commission.
5. Draft the complaint. State the parties, the facts, the defect, the harm, the relief you want, and the value paid. Attach your evidence and a signed affidavit.
6. Pay the fee online. Fees are nominal and set in slabs by the value of the claim, paid through e-Daakhil. Check the current slab on the portal before you file.
7. Submit and track. File the complaint, note your case number, and follow hearings through the portal.

If you would also like a refund or replacement and are unsure which route fits, our guide on filing a consumer complaint in consumer court walks through the ordinary process.

• The invoice, bill, or order confirmation showing what you paid.
• The product itself, its packaging, labels, and any manuals or warnings.
• Photos and videos of the defect and the damage it caused.
• Medical records, prescriptions, and hospital bills for any injury or illness.
• A police report or post-mortem report in case of death.
• Repair estimates or valuations for damaged property.
• Any warranty card, advertisement, or written promise the seller made.

Under Section 69, a Commission will not admit a complaint unless it is filed within two years from the date the cause of action arose, usually the date the harm happened or was discovered. If you are late, you can still ask the Commission to condone the delay, but you must show a good reason and the Commission must record why it accepts it. The safe rule is to file well within two years.

Section 87 sets out exceptions. A product seller is not liable if, at the time of the harm, the product was misused, altered, or modified. A claim can also fail where adequate warnings or instructions were in fact given and the harm came from ignoring them, or where the danger was obvious and commonly known. Keeping the product in its original condition and following the instructions protects your claim.

A Consumer Commission can order the liable party to pay compensation for the harm proved. This may cover your medical costs, the value of property the product damaged, lost earnings, and the mental agony tied to the injury, illness, or loss. The focus is on making good the harm, not on a refund of the product price. Ask for a specific amount and back each rupee with a bill, medical record, or valuation.

No. For a manufacturer, Section 84(2) makes liability no-fault: the company is liable even if it proves it was not negligent, as long as the product was defective and caused you harm. You must still prove the defect and the harm.

You can sue the seller, the manufacturer, the service provider, or more than one of them under Section 83. A seller who is not the manufacturer is liable in the situations listed in Section 86, such as altering the product or selling goods whose maker is unknown.

No. A refund or replacement is an ordinary consumer complaint about a defect or poor service. A product liability claim is for the harm a defective product caused, such as injury, illness, death, or property damage, and asks for compensation for that harm.

It depends on the value of the consideration you paid. Under the 2021 jurisdiction rules, the District Commission handles up to fifty lakh rupees, the State Commission above fifty lakh up to two crore rupees, and the National Commission above two crore rupees.

Section 69 sets a limit of two years from the date the cause of action arose. The Commission can allow a late filing only if you show sufficient cause and it records the reason, so do not rely on this.

If a defective product caused you real harm, gather your bills, medical records, and photos, decide the right Commission by the value you paid, and file your product liability action on https://edaakhil.nic.in within two years. To understand the wider consumer process, read our guide on how to file a consumer complaint, and to learn how to use information rights to strengthen any claim against a company or regulator, see The RTI Playbook.