Methodology
How this tool reaches its verdict
This page documents what the PLD 2026 Liability Check evaluates, what it explicitly does not certify, and which articles of Directive (EU) 2024/2853 each verdict line resolves against.
What this tool does
The tool takes seven scoped inputs about your role, product, defect and incident, then resolves five interlocking verdicts:
- SCOPE — does PLD 2.0 apply to this product / supply chain? (Art. 2 + Recital 14)
- LIABILITY — primary, secondary, subsidiary, or modifier-as-manufacturer? (Arts. 7-8)
- COMPENSATION — death/injury, property above €500, data loss, or medical-related? (Art. 6)
- LIMITATION — standard 10y or extended 25y for latent injury (Arts. 16-17), plus 3y discovery.
What this tool does NOT do
Following FTC-style precedent (accessiBe 2025, DoNotPay 2025), binary automated compliance verdicts without a licensed reviewer are deceptive when sold as definitive. This tool stops at scope + liability tier + compensation + limitation profile + Art. 9 presumption — it does not:
- Substitute for legal counsel on a specific incident, nor assess fault under national tort law.
- Determine whether your concrete defect actually exists or whether evidence is technically inaccessible (the Art. 9 presumption finding is a court question).
- Quantify damages, draft pleadings, or produce documentation for a Notified Body.
Source of truth + freshness
All citations resolve against EUR-Lex CELEX 32024L2853 (Directive (EU) 2024/2853, PLD revision). Verdict rules and deadlines were last verified on 2026-06-11. The dataset is reviewed monthly; an out-of-date dataset surfaces a freshness warning at the bottom of the verdict console.
When to use this tool vs paid compliance services
Use this tool to answer the question 'does PLD apply to me, and what is my exposure tier?' before committing engineering or legal budget. Once your verdict is PRIMARY liability or 25-year latent-injury limitation — or an incident has already occurred — engage product-liability counsel and your insurer. This tool is a scoping check, not a deliverable.