Posts Tagged ‘ Defective Product ’

Ryobi Recall: Fan Blade Pieces Can Break Off

March 15th, 2017. By LucyC

A jet fan blower that bites? You betcha! Ryobi is recalling its defective electric jet fan blowers—not really sure what these are—but I’m guessing it might have something to do with gardening.

The recall has been prompted by a rather high number of reported injuries. Apparently, the blower is prone to breaking in a rather bad tempered sort of way, having already caused 10,681 “incidents”, including 25 reports of minor injuries, such as lacerations to the face, hands and legs. These injuries are caused by fan blade pieces being discharged from either end of the blower. Got that?—EITHER end.

The deal is, according to the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), the plastic fan inside the blower can break “causing the fan blades to be discharged from either end of the blower tube, posing a laceration hazard.” Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Defective Product, Recall, Ryobi
Posted in Defective Products, Recall | 5 Comments »

Touch Disease: What Happens when your iPhone Goes on Strike

October 4th, 2016. By LucyC

So where do you start? Perhaps where the disease was first reported, to the best of our knowledge, that is. That might be a good place. Initially, that was among American users, now Canadians are jumping on the defective products bandwagon. If I’m not mistaken, it has also been reported in Europe. I am, of course, referring to the iPhone 6 and 6+ Touch disease. It’s changing the way Apple fans feel about their appendages. And not for the better. Seriously folks.

Touch disease. An interesting term. But how else would you describe a complete non-response from an object that basically functions by touch? It’s a slave to the stroke, swipe and tap. Granted, calling it a disease might be taking things a little too far. But let’s roll with it.

The symptoms? Basically, no matter how often or how fondly you fondle your iPhone, it doesn’t respond. So, you can’t answer your calls, send texts, emails or anything else for that matter. The iPhone has had enough, wants a divorce, and half of the asset base. No, wait, I’m getting confused.

Maybe 6 and 6+ just want some time off, feel used, or perhaps, they want to be made properly. According to the lawsuits, the underlying problem—the cause of Touch disease—is the touchscreen controller chips in the phone’s motherboard. Allegedly, they aren’t properly secured and can malfunction with regular use.

As one tech journalist explains it, in his article entitled “The hell of owing an iPhone 6 with Touch disease” (ok, we are not talking the plague here, just to be clear) … “touch disease” is an iPhone 6 Plus flaw related to “bendgate” in which the two tiny “Touch IC” connectors, which translate touchscreen presses into a machine input, become unseated from the phone’s logic board. It can be recognized by flickering gray bars along the top of the phone, and is associated with intermittent or total touchscreen failure,” (Jason Koebler, Motherboard.com)

This catastrophe could result in thousands of people scouring the streets in search of pay phones (best of luck there), and reading newspapers on the subway to work. It’s also possible that spontaneous conversations between strangers may be reported as becoming more common. Parents may remember to put their children in the car before they leave to drive them to school. Book sales could increase, and Jeopardy could find itself inundated with contestant applications.

Or, Samsung Galaxy could corner the market. But then they have their own problems. Let’s not go there just yet.

Whatever happens, Apple could find itself in hot water over this one. Touch disease apparently presents with symptoms almost as soon as the warranty has expired. Not surprisingly, class action lawsuits have been filed in the US and also in Canada.

The allegations including freezing or not responding to touch commands. I wonder if yelling at it works…

The lawsuits claim that Apple was aware of the problem but, yes you guessed it, did nothing to remedy the problem. What’s that saying—if it’s broke don’t fix it, just keep calm and carry on? Something like that. Looks like that is the strategy here, hence the lawsuits.

So keep calm and carry on folks—join a lawsuit, buy a different phone, get a newspaper subscription—maybe by iPhone 15 Apple will have worked out all the kinks. Holding your breath is not advised.

Tags: Apple, Defective Product, iPhone, Touch Disease
Posted in Class Action, Defective Products | 1 Comment »

Chair Recalls Could Lead to Injuries

June 15th, 2016. By LucyC

Couple of chair recalls caught my eye recently—collapsible chairs collapsing—unintentionally. Uh, not so good really. Especially, if you have them round the bar.

The first one is the Sadie Chair and Barstool, which, it seems, has dodgy legs and screws (Nope—please don’t go there…). Apparently, “The back leg of the chairs can bend and the seat tabs or screws on the seat can loosen. When loose, pinch points between the seat and steel frame are created, posing a risk of injury.”

One can only imagine that with the benefit of a few too many martinis this could get a bit confusing, in addition to being injurious. There are you are, sitting next to your would-be new romance thinking, ‘Pinch me, I’m dreaming!’ over how lucky your barstool choice was when…YEOW! Pinched indeed you were! From the defective chair you’re sitting in. Great. That would certainly change the mood a bit, and perhaps the rest of the evening’s plans if it meant trading your barstool for an ER gurney.

Yes, the Grand Rapids Chair company has reportedly received three reports of finger injuries including a finger laceration, bruise and fracture.

According to the recall, about 2,300 chairs are included—specifically, Grand Rapids Chair Company Sadie chairs (model 837) and barstools (model 837S). The model number is printed on the underside of the chair, on the care and use instruction label. The chairs have a seat height of 18.5” and overall width of 22.5”, and the barstools have a seat height of 30” and overall width of 22.5”. The Sadie chairs have a steel frame of various colors with a wood seat base and seatback.

Just in case you hadn’t figured this out, “Consumers should immediately stop using these recalled chairs and barstools and contact Grand Rapids Chair Company to schedule a free repair.”

The second recall is involves around 5,200 T.J. Maxx and Marshalls foldable weatherproof lounge chairs. Weatherproof but not person-proof, apparently. Fabulous. Who tests these things? Do they test these things?

Once again, you find yourself enjoying a pleasant sit down, when BAMMO! goes the barbeque and down to the floor you go. Maybe that’s why it was selling at the store for $39.99 rather than at its “Compare At” price of $70.00. But of course that’s just conjecture…

Apparently, TJX has received 15 reports of injuries from collapsing chairs. Injuries included back and tailbone injuries, one report of a fractured finger, three reports of stitches to fingers and reports of cut, bruised or swollen fingers. Really, who would have thought you get into that much trouble just from sitting down?

On this recall, consumers are being advised to” immediately stop using the recalled foldable chairs”—hello!—“and return them to any T.J. Maxx or Marshalls store for a full refund.”

Here’s the skinny—the chairs are made of an acacia wood frame and striped fabric in two styles: a natural oiled wood frame with red and white stripe fabric or a white gloss frame with blue and white stripe fabric. The chairs measure about 30 inches high by 42 inches long when unfolded. The style name, “Foldable Chair Solid Acacia Wood – Stripe Fabric – Weatherproof” is printed on the hang tag attached to the chair. The chairs sold at T.J. Maxx and Marshalls stores nationwide during March 2016 for about $40.

Time to invest in a picnic blanket I think…

 

Tags: Defective Product, Recall
Posted in Defective Products | No Comments »

Worst Toy List: Inflatable Bongo Ball A Potentially Bumpy Ride

December 11th, 2012. By AbiK

A huge inflatable ball that you can climb into by any other name—e.g.,  Bongo Ball, Giga Ball, GBOP Ball, Human Hamster Ball—whatever—is still a huge inflatable ball that you can crawl into and roll around in. Some even let you bounce around in them, bumping into things (and other people) as you play. It gives new, and literal, meaning to “living in a bubble” for sure—but does it afford the same protection that the saying implies? Uhh, probably not.

And definitely not according to consumer watchdog group World Against Toys Causing Harm (WATCH). WATCH has put the Bongo Ball, available at Toys R Us, on its 10 Worst Toys list for 2012.

Recently we posted about a study in which bounce houses—another inflatable fave for bouncy good fun—were found to be the cause of injury requiring medical attention in what amounts to 30 children a day! A number of those injuries were the result of a child somehow jumping out of the bounce house and landing on a hard surface. At least they weren’t encased in the inflatable and it didn’t land on top of them in the process.

But, as WATCH indicates in its report, when you’re in a big inflatable ball, you’re pretty much encased (see pic above) and your movements—some of which could be necessary to help protect yourself, say in a fall—could be restricted, potentially leading to an impact injury. It’s not hard to imagine—think about falling accidentally on a concrete patio in that thing. Makes you wonder what might be worse—the potential for a whiplash type injury or your head banging against the concrete. Neither option sounds great.

If the comments over at the Toys R Us website where the Bongo Ball is sold are any help, the possibility of one or more of the air chambers deflating or losing air can also add to the risk for injury; the “pillow” you thought you were landing on suddenly isn’t there anymore.

While the Bongo Ball is the 51-inch inflatable ball that WATCH identifies as potentially dangerous, check out the similar “Waterwalker” that you can find over at Gigaball.net (at right)—you have to love the picture the company uses to promote the floating version of the gigaball—now that looks safe, right? Forget just being concerned about being stuck inside some big plastic thing on top of water and hoping it won’t puncture—your greater worry is apparently whether you’ll come out bruised and battered. The irony here is that even backyard trampolines warn not to have more than one person use at a time—but Gigaball.net? They’ll even promote having more than one person go at a time!

It should be  noted that most of these inflatable balls—save the Waterwalker—do indicate that they are NOT to be used as floatation devices and that they should be used with parental supervision.

It doesn’t come as a surprise though that WATCH added this toy to their Worst Toys list for the year.

Tags: Bongo Ball, Bounce House, Defective Product, GBOP Ball, Gigaball, Inflatable Ball, Injury, Toys R Us, WATCH, Worst Toy List
Posted in Accidents, Defective Products, Emerging Issues, Personal Injury | 10 Comments »

Worst Toy List: Incredible Hulk Gamma Green Fists Pack a Punch

December 4th, 2012. By AbiK

Here’s one that made the Worst Toy List published by consumer watchdog World Against Toys Causing Harm (WATCH): Marvel Avengers Gamma Green Smash Fists.

What possibly could go wrong with these?

The description of them over at KMart.com says the following:

“When you put these green hands of power on your own hands, it will be that much easier to imagine yourself smashing everything that gets in your way!”

Sounds like what every 7-year old boy needs to find under the tree Christmas morning—a potentially dangerous toy!

According to WATCH, the issue with these is that there is the potential for “blunt impact injuries” (really?) and, the watchdog group states there are no warnings on the product. Maybe the folks at Marvel thought the image shown here—which is from their website—is enough of a warning: yes, ginormous green fists coming straight at you, or some object, could inflict harm.

Warnings or not, get a group of 10 & under kids together with a pair of these and it’s almost guaranteed there’ll be some “blunt impact” going on—or at least some damaged drywall or knocked over lamps. Not to mention the phone calls mom will receive after the play date from the other kid’s moms.

Hasbro manufacturers them, and they’re available at stores like KMart, Target, Kohl’s and Wal-Mart for about $19.99.

Tags: Avengers, Defective Product, Gamma Green Smash Fists, Hasbro, Incredible Hulk, Injury, Marvel, WATCH, Worst Toy List
Posted in Defective Products, Personal Injury | No Comments »