Canadian company Dimplex North America, in conjunction with the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), announced on March 17, 2010 that it would recall approximately 700,000 remote control kits for electric fireplaces and stoves. The plug-in wall units have been found to overheat, causing mechanism malfunction and a significant burn injury and fire hazard. There have been “19 reports of damage beyond the remote control and one report of a house fire in Columbus, Ohio that resulted in considerable property damage.” The CPSC is still collecting incident and injury reports related to the units.
Dimplex is an Ontario, Canada based company; however, the units were manufactured in China and sold in the United States through home improvement retailers like Lowe’s, as well as specialty fireplace and furniture retailers.
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, home heating devices like fireplaces and space heaters are the second leading cause of fire deaths and the third leading cause of injury in Americans aged 65 and older. Heating equipment is one of the most common causes of residential structural fires, second only to cooking fires. Many of these fires and injuries are related to product defects.
Defective home heating devices can cause serious injury to consumers, including permanent disfigurement from burns. Equipment-related fires can cause massive property damage and significant financial loss to property owners. If you have been injured or experienced property damage as a result of a malfunctioning home heating device, the Los Angeles product defect attorneys at Panish Shea & Boyle LLP can assist you in recovering your losses. Call (877) 800-1700 for a free consultation with a product liability attorney.
