Product recalls are important for the safety of consumers. They warn consumers when a manufacturer has discovered something wrong with an item, such as a manufacturing or design defect. The Consumer Product Safety Commission posts the latest recalls to protect people from defective products. If a defective or dangerously designed product injures you, contact a product liability lawyer in Phoenix for a free consultation. The manufacturing company may owe you compensation.
General Injury Hazards
Many types of items could pose general injury risks to consumers due to defects, from electrical equipment to ATVs. Keeping up with the list of recalled items could allow you to prevent an injury before it occurs.
- Fall and injury hazards. Bicycle pedals from VP Harrier and Giant Pinner DH pose a hazard because the body of the pedal can separate from the spindle, potentially causing rider falls and injuries.
- Laceration hazards. MTD Southwest recalled about 2,660 units of its trimmers and pole saws due to a defect in which the heads of the tools continue rotating after the release of the throttle, posing laceration hazards.
- Crash and injury hazards. Camso recalled its Yeti SnowMX conversion kit while Polaris recalled its PRO XD and Ranger utility vehicles, both due to potential crash and injury risks.
- Burn hazards. The Continuum Lenox Tea Kettle poses a burn injury risk from a leak. Modular Robotics recalled its rechargeable battery packs also for a burn injury hazard.
- Electrocution hazards. LUS recalled 2,700 hair dryers for an electrocution and shock hazard while Leviton recalled about 98,000 50-amp connectors for the same reason.
It is important to always follow the advice on a product recall to avoid injury. Companies often suggest immediately halting the use of the item and contacting them for refunds and/or repairs.
Child Safety Hazards
Many recalled items breach federal child safety regulations. Some of these items are specifically made for children, while others are for adults but pose hazards specifically to kids in the household.
- Manhattan Toy Musical Lili Llama. Young children could choke on the screws used to attach the flowers to the sides of the llama, which can fall off in use.
- Essential oils. Companies such as Wyndmere, BioFinest, Naturo Sciences, Natural Health, Adorable and Essential Trading Post recalled several essential oils in April due to breaches of child-resistant packaging requirements and the risk of poisoning.
- The Vitamin Shoppe Energy Formula Multivitamins. The Vitamin Shoppe recalled about 2,800 units of its 90-tablet multivitamins for the same reason as the essential oil companies: failure to meet the regulations for child-resistant packaging.
- Joybird dressers. Joybird had to recall about 100 Blythe dressers due to the risk of it tipping over and entrapping victims.
Child entrapment is a common reason for companies to recall their products – especially furniture and playground equipment. Entrapment can occur if an item does not stand firmly on its own without the user anchoring it to the wall.
Fire Hazards
Spark and fire hazards could pose serious burn injury and property damage risks. A few different companies issued recalls in April for fire risks.
- Southern Motion Wireless Power Reclining Furniture. This reclining furniture uses lithium-ion batteries for power, which could overheat and pose a fire risk.
- Stelpro Design Sonoma Wall Fan Heater. Internal elements in these wall heaters do not meet federal flammability performance requirements.
- Polaris 2018 Ranger XP 1000 EPS. Polaris recalled this off-road vehicle due to a fire hazard involving a defective clutch belt that could damage the fuel line. It also recalled 2019 to 2020 Ranger XP 1000s for the same reason.
If you already purchased one of these items and experienced the dangerous defect for yourself, the company may owe you compensation. You may not need to prove negligence to qualify for financial recovery for a defective product injury. No matter what type of product injured your child, your family may qualify for compensation. A personal injury lawyer can help you with the claims process.