Montana residents who are seeking to ensure the safety of their home or workplace will make certain that they take steps to have items designed for safety on their premises. However, a problem that is not often thought about is whether the item that is designed to enhance safety is dangerous itself. A dangerous product can come in many forms and that extends to safety products. When there is a safety product that does not work correctly, it can cause double the damage because the initial reason for using it is still happening and is not mitigated by the product. If this happens, those who were harmed should consider filing product defect claims to be compensated.
Most conscientious people have a fire extinguisher on the premises. The goal for this is obvious: if there is a fire or the threat of a fire, the fire extinguisher is there to put it out. However, a problem that is not often considered is if the fire extinguisher does not work properly. A recall of 40 million disposable fire extinguishers manufactured by Kidde was initiated because it might fail when it is needed. These fire extinguishers have plastic handles and buttons that might clog. In addition, the nozzle can detach with sufficient force to lead to a dangerous impact.
This recall relates to items that go back more than four decades. 134 models are subject to recall and were made from 1972 to August 2017. Some of the products had been recalled in 2009 and 2015. Other items were push-button fire extinguishers from 1995 to September of 2017. These had been sold via the web and at Sears, Walmart and Home Depot. In one case, it is believed that the fire extinguisher might have caused a person's death. A 22-year-old who was in a car crash died after the fire department tried to put out the fire and the fire extinguishers failed. There were close to 400 reports of failure with these fire extinguishers. In 16 of these cases, people were hurt. Nearly 38 million are being recalled in the U.S.; 2.7 million are being recalled in Canada.
People who might have been injured when a fire extinguisher did not work or when they tried to use it and were injured during its use should be aware of the product recall. A defective product can cause substantial damage and consumer death. Those who believe they might have been hurt because of this fire extinguisher should discuss a possible lawsuit with an attorney experienced in cases involving a dangerous product.