As Product Injuries Rise, Consumers Are Less Safe Than They Were Last Year
A new report from the U.S. PIRG Education Fund reviewed data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Website and found that consumers are less safe than they were a year ago. There has been a substantial rise in the number of product-related injuries in the U.S., and the problem is especially serious for seniors. According to the report, more injuries were linked to recalled products in 2024 than in any of the previous seven years.
A total of 869 injuries were connected to product recalls, according to the U.S. PIRG Education Fund analysis. This total is considerably higher than 2023, in which only 549 injuries were reported. The figure is more than double the number of injuries reported in 2020.
In addition to injuries, the report indicates that 15 people died from problems related to recalled products. According to the report, some of the most disturbing incidents involved adult bed rails that entrapped senior citizens. These rails were connected to six deaths. Infant swings were connected to five deaths, and various electrical products accounted for the rest of the deaths.
It’s important to note that all of this data involves cases where the companies agreed to a recall. There were another 10 deaths linked to cases in which the company that manufactured the dangerous product would not agree to a recall. In these cases, the CPSC routinely issues a warning related to the product.
In addition to the recalls, the CPSC issued 63 warnings related to hazardous products after companies refused to cooperate with the recall or failed to respond to the CPSC. The previous year, the CPSC only issued 38 warnings. Six of those warnings involved consumer deaths that occurred before the agency had an opportunity to issue a public announcement. Ten people died in incidents related to products the CPSC warned consumers about. According to the report, 63 warnings were issued in 2024, which eclipses the figure produced by the previous nine years combined.
Eight products linked to deaths
According to the report, eight products were linked to consumer deaths. These included:
- Infant swings – Five infant deaths occurred between 2012 and 2022 before the product was recalled in 2024.
- Spa pumps – A spa pump was linked to a fatal fire in Kansas City, MO. One person was killed in 2024.
- Portable power stations – An elderly man died of smoke inhalation in Bradenton, FL, from a fire caused by the portable power station.
- Bookcases – A bookcase fell on top of a 4-year-old child in 2023.
- Rechargeable integrated lights – One person died after the product allegedly caused a fire in their home.
- Bed rails – Three models of adult bed rails caused three deaths and two since a recall in 2021.
Talk to a Florida Product Liability Lawyer Today
The Florida product liability attorneys at Halpern, Santos & Pinkert represent the interests of those injured by dangerous or defective products. Call our Florida personal injury lawyers today to schedule an appointment, and we can begin investigating your case right away.
