91 Ill. 2d 69, 435 N.E.2d 443 (1982)
Moorman Manufacturing Co. v.
Can a buyer recover economic losses in tort (strict liability or negligence) where the damages are solely to the product itself and not to persons or other property?
The economic loss doctrine holds that economic losses, which are solely to the product itself, are not recoverable in tort when the losses pertain to a failure to meet contractual expectations, and thus should be pursued through breach of contract remedies.
The Illinois Supreme Court held that Moorman could not recover purely economic losses through tort claims. The court concluded that such claims were governed by the economic loss doctrine, thus limiting Moorman's recovery to contractual remedies.
This case is significant because it clarifies the distinction between tort and contract law. For law students, Moorman underscores the importance of the economic loss doctrine in maintaining the balance between these two areas of law, ensuring that tort law does not supplant the expectational framework established by commercial contracts.