In order to provide consumers with the most up-to-date information on defective products, the U.S. government created an online resource for recalls that compiles recalls from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), United States Coast Guard, U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Each agency is responsible for monitoring products and reporting recalls in specific categories. Those categories include consumer products, motor vehicles, boats, food, medicine, cosmetics, and environmental products. The products that are recalled are shipped all over the country, so it’s important to be aware of items that have recently been designated as defective.
When defective products result in injuries, legal action can be taken. Our lawyers can help victims seek compensation through the litigation process.
Recently Recalled Products
New products are being recalled every day. It can be overwhelming to stay current with every single recall, but it’s important to check the lists regularly to ensure nothing you own could potentially injure you or a member of your family. Let’s take a look at some of the products that have been recalled in 2019 based on the Recalls.gov categories.
Consumer Products
The CPSC has jurisdiction over more than 15,000 consumer products including appliances, clothing, furniture, household items, electronics, children’s products, lighting, outdoor items, and sports equipment.
Some of this year’s recalled products include Home Meridian corner curio cabinets, AmazonBasics ceramic space heaters, and Excel Industries zero-turn mowers. About 250 corner curio cabinets were recalled because they pose a serious risk for tip-over and entrapment hazards. More than 377,000 ceramic space heaters were recalled after it was discovered the devices could overheat. 5,400 zero-turn mowers were recalled because a wire tie underneath the seat could damage the fuel line and create a fire hazard.
Motor Vehicles
The NHTSA provides recall information from 1966 to the present for motor vehicles and related equipment, child safety seats, and tires. The items included on their lists typically experience a safety-related defect or do not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards.
There have been a number of recalls for motor vehicles and their parts this year. Recent ones include Trans Texas Tire recalling certain Contender 5.70-8 tires because of incorrect sidewall labels, Forest River, Inc. recalling 2016-2019 Elkhart ECE3 and ECE4 buses, because of an issue with the seat cushions, and Ivolution Sports, Inc. recalling certain IV2 HY808 helmets because of inadequate protection in the event of a motorcycle crash.
Boats
The U.S. Coast Guard investigates consumer complaints regarding recreation boats and related equipment. They provide consumers with tips, news, and recalls for recreational boats, boat manufacturers and installed equipment, and boating safety issues.
Boat recalls do not happen as often as some other product recalls, but there have still been a significant number this year. Campion Marine Inc.’s Explorer 492 CC was recalled for flotation and loading issues. Leisure Properties dba Crownl’s E30 was recalled for label and certification issues. The 1548V from Weldbilt Commercial Boats was recalled because of loading issues and labeling errors regarding capacity.
Food
The FDA and USDA provide the latest information on all food recalls and food illness outbreaks. According to the FDA, if you discover you have a recalled food product you should return the product to where you bought it and seek a refund, or dispose of the product based on the recall instructions.
Examples of food recalls this year include Ruiz Food Products Inc. recalling their bacon breakfast wrap products because of possible foreign matter contamination, Aurora Packing Company, Inc. recalling beef products to do possible E. coli exposure, and Caito Food LLC recalling salads with chicken products because of misbranding and undeclared allergens.
Medicine
The FDA also has jurisdiction over recalling involving drugs, vaccines, medical devices, blood and plasma products, veterinary products, and other biologics. Drugs and similar products are recalled on a daily basis. So far in 2019, products like the following have been recalled for consumer safety: infant warmers by GE healthcare, sterile animal products within expiry from RXQ Compounding LLC, and Losartan potassium tables from GSMS Inc.
Cosmetics
In addition to food and medicine recalls, the FDA also keeps track of cosmetic recalls. Contaminated cosmetics pose serious health risks. Fortunately, cosmetics aren’t recalled often. From 2018 to the present, there have only been three recalls in this category. Styling gel from La Bella Extreme Sport was recalled for bacterial contamination, a no-rinse cleansing foam from Medline Remedy Essentials was recalled because of the presence of B. cepacian in their products, and Splish Splash gentle baby wash from Saje Natural Wellness was recalled for infection-causing bacteria.
Environmental Products
The EPA is in charge of recalls involving pesticides, rodenticides, fungicides, and vehicle emission testing. Most of their recalls revolve around vehicle emission testing. For example, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles issued a voluntary recall of 862,520 vehicles after in-use emissions investigations and testing were conducted by the EPA.
Product Liability Cases in 2019
Sometimes a defective product results in lawsuits—especially when individuals are injured before a recall is issued. As a South Carolina resident, it’s important to be aware of the dangerous products that could impact your life. Currently, there are lawsuits being pursued by victims injured by an osteoporosis drug called Fosamax. Additionally, there’s an increased focus on products that are harmful to the environment.
If you believe you’ve been injured by a recalled product or feel a product you own should be recalled for the benefit and safety of consumers, contact our law firm to learn about product liability claims and how South Carolina’s laws can help you.