What is Prototype?

A prototype is a trial model of a product in development. During the production process for a new product, it is not unusual to develop a prototypical model for fine tuning the product idea. Claims expected to be made about the product can be tested against the performance of the prototype. For legal purposes, the prototype can alert the producer to safety and legal issues inherent in the design. While a rare legal theory, a liability case can be made against the maker of a product that caused a harm who failed to produce an accurate prototype for pre-production testing.