QVC Inc. of West Chester, Pennsylvania, has recalled about 13,000 Cook's Essential electric toasters due to possible fire hazard. The toaster can turn on without bread in the slots and ignite items placed on top of it, posing a fire hazard. QVC has received reports of five toasters turning on spontaneously, including two incidents of toaster covers burned and one incident of fire damage to a kitchen cabinet. No injuries have been reported.

This QVC toaster recall involves the “Cook’s Essential” chrome two-slice electric toasters model CT200. Each toaster has “Cook’s Essentials” and “Model: CT200” printed on a plate located on the underside of the toaster. The toasters were sold through QVC’s televised shopping programs, Web page, toll-free number, outlet, and employee and Studio stores from May 2000 through May 2003 for between $50 and $60.

Consumers should stop using the toaster immediately, unplug it, and return it to QVC using the prepaid shipping labels that QVC will provide. According to the CPSC recall announcement, consumers who return their toasters will receive a full refund of the purchase price, plus shipping and handling. If you have a recalled QVC/Cook's Essential toaster that has caused property damage and/or personal injury, contact an attorney immediately and do not return the toaster or contact QVC.

PritzkerOlsen, a leading product liability law firm, is providing this information as a public service. Please do not contact our law firm about a case unless it involves serious personal injury. To contact the firm, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm's online consultation form (right). The firm has extensive experience with product liability and fire accident cases.

Posted December 2007.

Labels: burn injuries, fire damage, product liability

According to a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Collins International Co. has voluntarily recalled about 20,000 oscillating ceramic heaters sold at Menards retail stores due to possible fire hazard. This recall involves 1500 watt oscillating ceramic heaters model EB38005. The heater has a white plastic housing with the name "Heat-Wave" in black on its top. A label on the bottom of the product contains the model and the control number "ETL 3090262."

The heaters can overheat, smoke, or ignite which could pose a fire hazard to consumers. Collins International has received seven reports of the heaters overheating, smoking, or igniting, including four reports of minor property damage to carpets and floors. No injuries have been reported.

The recalled oscillating ceramic heaters were sold at Menards’ stores nationwide from September 2006 through March 2007 for about $25.

According to the CPSC announcement, consumers should immediately stop using the heaters and return them to the nearest Menards’ store for a full refund. However, if there has been product damage or personal injury that may be associated with a recalled oscillating ceramic heater sold at Menard's, you should contact an attorney immediately.

PritzkerOlsen is posting this recall as a public service. The firm is not representing people who have sustained property damage that may be associated with this product. The firm does represent people who have been seriously injured by defective products. To contact PritzkerOlsen regarding a serious personal injury, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm's online free case consultation form.

Posted December 2007

Labels: apartment fire, fire damage, fire injury, personal injury, product liability lawyer

Along with holiday cheer, the holidays bring a rise in the number of fires. As you are decorating your home for the holidays, please keep these tips from the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the National Fire Protection Association in mind:

Trees:

• When purchasing an artificial tree, look for the label "Fire Resistant." Although this label does not mean the tree won't catch fire, it does indicate the tree is more resistant to burning.
• When purchasing a live tree, check for freshness. A fresh tree is green, needles are hard to pull from branches and do not break when bent between your fingers. The bottom of a fresh tree is sticky with resin, and when tapped on the ground, the tree should not lose many needles.
• When setting up a tree at home, place it away from fireplaces and radiators. Because heated rooms dry out live trees rapidly, be sure to keep the stand filled with water. Place the tree out of the way of traffic, and do not block doorways.
• If you have a real tree, water it regularly.
  
• Use only non-combustible or flame-resistant materials to trim a tree. Choose tinsel or artificial icicles of plastic or nonleaded metals. Leaded materials are hazardous if ingested by children.
• if you have a real tree, dispose of it after 4 weeks.
  

Lights:

• Indoors or outside, use only lights that have been tested for safety by a nationally-recognized testing laboratory, such as UL or ETL/ITSNA. Use only newer lights that have thicker wiring and are required to have safety fuses to prevent the wires from overheating.
• Check each set of lights, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections. Throw out damaged sets.
• If using an extension cord, make sure it is rated for the intended use.
• Never use electric lights on a metallic tree. The tree can become charged with electricity from faulty lights, and a person touching a branch could be electrocuted.
• When using lights outdoors, check labels to be sure they have been certified for outdoor use and only plug them into a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protected receptacles or a portable GFCI.
• Turn off all holiday lights when you go to bed or leave the house. The lights could short out and start a fire.
• Take down holiday lights after 90 days of use to prevent damage from weather conditions and neighborhood animals.

Candles:

• Keep burning candles within sight.
• Keep lighted candles away from items that can catch fire and burn easily, such as trees, other evergreens, decorations, curtains and furniture.
• Always use non-flammable holders and keep away from children and pets.
• Don't leave children unattended in a room with lit candles.
  
• Extinguish all candles before you go to bed, leave the room or leave the house.

Fireplaces:

• Use care with "fire salts," which produce colored flames when thrown on wood fires. They contain heavy metals that, if eaten, can cause intense gastrointestinal irritation and vomiting. Keep them away from children.
• Do not burn wrapping paper or plastic items in the fireplace. These materials can ignite suddenly and burn intensely, resulting in a flash fire.
• Place a screen around your fireplace to prevent sparks from igniting nearby flammable materials.

Sources:
1. CPSC Warns: Avoid Hazards Related to Holiday Decorating (press release).
2. National Fire Protection Association, November 2007 press release regarding holiday safety.

Get a free brochure with holiday decorating and toy safety tips at CPSC’s web site www.cpsc.gov (pdf)

See a demonstration showing how flammable a dry Christmas tree can be as opposed to a tree watered regularly. This test was conducted by the National Fire Protection Association and Underwriters Laboratories.

Labels: candle recall, fire damage, fire injury, fire prevention, upholstered furniture fire

TAP Enterprises Inc., of Springhill, Kan., has agreed to pay a $100,000 civil penalty for failing to report to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in a timely manner about defective air compressors. In October 2004, TAP first learned of an incident involving a fire caused by the Mini 2-Gallon Pancake air compressor, which resulted in $30,000 in property damage. By September 2005, TAP Enterprises had received another report of smoke coming out of the air compressor and a number of warranty claims. TAP, doing business as Cummins Industrial Tools, did not report any of these incidents to CPSC in a timely and thorough manner.
The Consumer Product Safety Act requires firms to report to the CPSC within 24 hours after obtaining information reasonably supporting the conclusion that a product contains a defect which could create a substantial risk of injury to the public, presents an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death, or violates a federal safety standard.

If a company fails to report to the CPSC in a timely manner about a defect and a consumer is subsequently injured, it may be possible to obtain punitive damages (damages beyond actual damages that are meant to punish the wrongdoer). In the case where a defective product causes a fire, it would be beneficial to hire an attorney with both product liability and fire injury litigation experience.

Pritzker | Olsen is a national law firm and has recovered millions for people injured in fires and by defective products. To contact the firm, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit the firm’s online consultation form.

Labels: fire damage, fire prevention, product liability lawyer