Do you have to prove someone was careless to hold them legally responsible? Not always. Strict liability is a rule that allows a person or business to be held responsible for harm even without proof of negligence or intent. The focus is usually on the activity or product itself, not on whether the defendant acted reasonably. Courts often apply it to unusually dangerous activities, injuries caused by defective products, and certain situations involving animals.

In practical terms, strict liability can make an injury claim more direct. Instead of spending most of the case proving exactly how a defendant failed to use reasonable care, the injured person may only need to show that the defendant was connected to the dangerous activity or product, that the product was defective or the activity was inherently hazardous, and that this caused the injury. That can change what evidence matters and how a case is argued.

In Indiana, strict liability most often comes up in product liability cases under the Indiana Product Liability Act, Indiana Code article 34-20. Even when strict liability applies, an injured person still has to prove causation, damages, and that the claim was filed on time. For most personal injury cases in Indiana, the general statute of limitations is two years after the accident under Indiana Code § 34-11-2-4.