Gree Electric Appliances is recalling about 2.2 million in dehumidifiers because they pose serious fire and burn injury hazards. The Chinese company and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall, which includes 80 models and 12 brands. Already, the defective dehumidifiers have resulted in over $2 million in property damages involving 165 reported incidents that included 46 fires. So far, no injuries have been reported.
The CPSC says that the faulty dehumidifiers can overheat, emit smoke, and catch fire. The recalled products include products ranging under the brand names Kenmore, Fedders, Gree, Fellini, Frigidaire, Norpole, Seabreeze, Premiere, De’Longhi, Superclima, SoleusAir, and Danby, ranging in size between 20 pints to 70 pints. Click here to see a list of the model numbers.
Consumers are urged to turn off and unplug the dehumidifiers right away and get in touch with Gree to ask for a complete refund.
Dehumidifiers
This product is typically a household appliance that is supposed to lower
the amount of humidity in the air. Dehumidifiers are used for comfort
or health reasons because air that is too humid can cause mildew and mold,
excessive sweating, and condensation, which may make it tough to sleep.
Products Liability
Parties involved in the manufacture, sale, or distribution of a defective/faulty/dangerous
or malfunctioning product can be sued products liability. Defendants may
include the product manufacturer, parts component manufacturers, an assembling
manufacturer, the distributor, a wholesaler, the retail storeowner, or others.
A “product,” for the purposes of products liability, is usually a tangible property items, but liability may also be sought over defects involving intangible goods, such as gas, real estate, pets, and writings (i.e. navigational charts). Plaintiffs may base their products liability claims on the grounds of negligence, breach of warranty, or strict liability. Many US states have their own products liability statutes.
A plaintiff has to prove that a design defect, manufacturing flaw, or marketing defect caused the product to become defective.
Design defects: These are inherent to a product and existed even before an item was ever manufactured.
Manufacturing defects: These defects happen during the making of the product. Usually, not every product in a line will have the manufacturing defect.
Marketing defects: This type of defect typically deals with incomplete or incorrect instructions, failure to warn of hazards, or marketing/promoting the product to the wrong age group or demographic.
Generally, products liability is a strict liability offense. This means that liability is not dependent on the actions of the defendant, and the latter can be found liable just because the product is defective/dangerous.
Burn and Fire Hazards
When a home product proves to be a fire hazard, this can lead to injuries
and property damages for those involved. You want to work with an experienced
product defects law firm that knows how to protect your rights and pursue
your financial recovery.
To request your free consultation, contact The Gilbert Law Group® and ask to speak with one of our product defect attorneys.
