Opinion ID: 2293263
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Third Restatement

Text: I am on record as favoring prospective movement to the Third Restatement position, and I remain of that position today, for the reasons I previously have stated. See Phillips, 576 Pa. at 664-82, 841 A.2d at 1012-23. I believe the Third Restatement's provisions are far more reasoned and balanced than Azzarello, and adoption would represent a substantial advancement in Pennsylvania law. While Appellee is correct that we should not cede our decision making authority to commentators, the reality is that necessary modernization of the law of Pennsylvania has been suppressed for so long by the no-negligence-in-strict-liability mantra that we are essentially thirty years behind. The Restatement would serve as a far more rational platform from which to make modest future adjustments, if necessary, than Azzarello. As stated very recently by a panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in conjunction with a prediction that this Court would adopt Sections 1 and 2 of the Third Restatement: The Third Restatement ... eliminates much of the confusion that has resulted from attempting to quarantine negligence concepts and insulate them from strict liability claims. Berrier v. Simplicity Mfg., Inc., 563 F.3d 38, 55 (3d Cir.2009). Thus, the Restatement provides a suitable template for making up for lost time and moving forward.