Defective Product Lawyer

As an experienced defective product lawyer explains, product recall is a critical process used to remove potentially hazardous products from the market before they can cause harm to consumers. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is an independent agency of the federal government charged with protecting consumers from injury or death caused by products in and around the home. A recall is conducted when the CPSC identifies a product as dangerous.  

Here is a step-by-step breakdown on how a recall is conducted:

1. Identification: The CPSC identifies a potentially dangerous product through reports from consumers, government testing, and other sources.
2. Assessment: The CPSC assesses whether the identified product poses a danger to consumers.
3. Notification: The CPSC notifies companies and retailers to recall the identified product.
4. Process: The companies and retailers then work with the CPSC to issue recall notices to the public.
5. Inspection: The CPSC investigates to ensure the recalled product has been removed from the market and that there have been no new safety issues.
6. Resolution: Companies and retailers resolve any disputes or questions regarding the recall process.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission is a crucial part of our federal government, as it safeguards us from potentially dangerous products coming into the marketplace. Product recalls protect consumers and should always be taken seriously to ensure that no one is injured or put in danger. Below are two products that were recalled in January of 2023.

LG Smart Televisions

On January 12, 2023, LG Electronics recalled 52,000 units of its LG 86-inch smart televisions and stands due to tip-over and entrapment hazards that can occur when the TV becomes unstable on its assembled stand. The recall includes four LG Electronics 86-inch smart TV models with the following model numbers: 

• 86UQ8000AUB
• 86UQ7070ZUD 
• 86UQ7590PUD
• 86NANO75UQA

The TVs were sold at Walmart, Best Buy, Costco and other stores nationwide and online at Amazon.com, Walmart.com, Bestbuy.com, and Costco.com from March 2022 through September 2022. Consumers in possession of these TVs are advised to immediately detach the TV’s supporting stand legs and place the TV in a safe location away from children. Consumers may then contact LG for instructions on how to inspect the unit and to obtain replacement screws and stand parts, and for help from a technician for a free repair. Those who wall-mounted their TVs do not need to stop using them. To date, LG has received 22 reports of TV stand instability including 12 reports of tip-overs. No injuries have been reported. 

Bissell Cordless Vacuums

On January 12, 2023, Bissell recalled 61,000 units of its Bissell Cordless Multi-Surface Wet Dry Vacuums due to a fire hazard that can occur if the circuit board inside the vacuum’s battery pack overheats and produces smoke. The model numbers of the recalled vacuums are 2551, 2551W and 25519. The vacuums were sold at Walmart stores nationwide and also online at www.walmart.com, www.qvc.com, www.amazon.com, www.costco.com, www.fingerhut.com, www.acehardware.com, www.kohls.com, and www.wayfair.com from January 2019 through November 2022. Consumers are advised to immediately cease use of the vacuums and contact Bissell for a free battery pack replacement. To date, Bissell has received 66 reports of the vacuum smoking and emitting a burning odor, including five reports of the battery pack catching fire. Three of the fire reports resulted in minor property damage and one resulted in a burn injury. 

Thanks to Eglet Adams for their insight on consumer products that were recalled in January of 2023.