O consumidor por equiparação (bystander) no REsp N. 1.948.463/SP

Teodoro Silva  Santos; Fernanda Mathias de Souza Garcia

Authors

Teodoro Silva Santos
Fernanda Mathias de Souza Garcia

Keywords:

Consumer by equivalence, Consumer accident, Strict liability, Superior Court of Justice

Abstract

This article analyzes Special Appeal n. 1,948,463/SP, decided by the Fourth Panel of the Superior Court of Justice (STJ), which recognized the status of a consumer by equivalence (bystander) in favor of a military police officer injured by the accidental discharge of a defective Taurus firearm. The Court affirmed the application of Article 17 of the Consumer Protection Code, applying the five-year statute of limitations set forth in Article 27 of the Consumer Protection Code (CDC) and rejecting the three-year statute of limitations set forth in the Civil Code. The study highlights that the decision expands consumer protection by protecting victims of consumer accidents, even if they are not part of the contractual purchase relationship. The judgment reinforces the supplier’s strict liability, consolidates the STJ’s case law, and reaffirms the protective and social nature of the Consumer Protection Code (CDC) by prioritizing the victim’s status and safety in consumer relations.

Author Biographies

Teodoro Silva Santos

Doutor, Mestre e Especialista em Direito Constitucional pela Universidade de Fortaleza. Especialista em Processo Penal pela Universidade Federal do Ceará. Pós-doutor em Ciências Jurídicas Penais na Universidade do Minho (UMinho). Professor na Graduação e na Pós-Graduação lato sensu da UNIFOR. Professor do Centro Universitário Euroamericano (Unieuro). Ministro do Superior Tribunal de Justiça.