Export Liability
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6-Year-Old US Boy’s Remote Battery Mishap Sparks Multimillion-Dollar Zurich Insurance Settlement
**Zurich China paid a landmark $40 million settlement** for a product liability claim. A US child suffered permanent injuries in 2022 after swallowing a button battery from a defective Chinese-manufactured air conditioner remote insured by Zurich. As the excess layer insurer, Zurich settled the original $125.2M lawsuit to avoid a potentially higher US jury verdict. Completed in June 2025 (~¥141M), the payment impacted profits but left the insurer financially sound. This record settlement starkly highlights the catastrophic liability risks in markets like the US and the need for robust safety and tailored insurance for exporters.