First off, I am 15-years-old & currently interested in pursuing a career in law. Yesterday, I found a website within the Cornell Law School database dealing with legal information (the website is called LII / Legal Information Institute). Not knowing where to get started, I clicked the Accidents & Injuries link which directed me to 5 articles pertaining to accidents & injuries. As I read through the articles, I came across the product liability law. Through my reading, I found that the liability for the damage caused by a product spreads through all parties along the chain of manufacture. Including the manufacturer of component parts, the assembling manufacturer, the wholesaler, & the retail store owner. Now, while I understand how the manufacturer of component parts & the assembling manufacturer could be held liable for any damages caused by a product, I am not understanding in what circumstances the wholesaler or the retail store owner would be held liable. Granted, I realize that there are three types of product defects that would constitute liability in both manufacturers & suppliers (design defects, manufacturing defects, & defects in marketing), the only defect I see would relate toward the wholesaler or retail store owner would be the defect in marketing. & this is where I lose my understanding of the product liability law.

So, what I am asking is if someone can list circumstances in which the wholesaler and/or the retail store owner would be held reliable for damages caused by a product? & it would be appreciated if there was some sort of in-depth explanation for the circumstance(s) listed. Thanks in advance.