Vornado Recalls 2 Million Garment Steamers Due To Burn Risk
Vornado has issued a recall for over 2 million garment steamers sold by retailers across the country. According to the recall notice issued by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the steamers can spew hot water while heating or in use creating a serious risk of burn injuries. The recall includes Steamfast, Vornado, and Sharper Image-branded steamers available at retailers including Bed, Bath, & Beyond, Walmart, and Amazon, according to the notice posted recently on the CPSC’s website.
Vornado has received 122 reports of hot water spraying from the steam nozzle. 23 of these reports include burn injuries suffered by customers.
The steamers sold for between $14 and $35 from July 2009 to January 2024. The recalled steamers include:
- Steamfast model numbers SF-425, SF-435, SF-440, SF-445, and SF-447
- Vornado model number VS-410
- Sharper Image model number SI-428
Customers are instructed to stop using the product and contact the Vornado for a replacement or a refund, depending on the model.
In December, Vornado also issued a recall for 1.75 million Steamfast travel steam irons due to fire, burn, and shock hazards.
Can you file a product liability lawsuit after a recall has been issued?
Yes. If you have been injured due to a dangerous or defective consumer product, you can file a personal injury product liability lawsuit against the manufacturer and the retailer after a recall has been issued. The mere fact that the company issued a recall does not absolve them of personal responsibility or liability when their product injures one of its customers. The law requires that manufacturers engineer safe products. That duty does not change just because the company issued a recall.
The purpose of the recall is to alert customers as to the nature of the defect and potentially limit the number of injuries that occur. If a company does not recall a defective product, it could face more product liability lawsuits.
On the other hand, the recall itself does not create an automatic product liability case. In a product liability lawsuit, you must establish that you were injured due to the product defect. So there is no product liability lawsuit without an injury or property damage. In most cases, companies will offer their customers a refund or a replacement product depending on the circumstances.
Who can be sued if I was burned by a Vornado garment steamer?
In a product liability lawsuit, there are generally two defendants. The first defendant is the company responsible for manufacturing the product. The second defendant is the company responsible for making the product available to the public. Companies like Walmart can be sued when the products they sell cause injury to their customers. In the case mentioned above, there are 23 reports of burn injuries caused by the defective steamers. Each of these individuals could file a product liability lawsuit against Vornado and the store at which they purchased the product.
Talk to a Florida Product Liability Lawyer Today
The Florida personal injury attorneys at Halpern, Santos & Pinkert represent the interests of consumers who have been injured due to dangerous or defective products. Call our office today to schedule a free consultation, and we can begin discussing your case right away.
Source:
cpsc.gov/Recalls/2024/Vornado-Recalls-Two-Million-Handheld-Garment-Steamers-Due-to-Serious-Burn-Hazard
