On February 6, 2020, Country Home Products issued a recall for their leaf blowers. According to the recall, recall number 20-070, the blades inside the leaf blower can suddenly break off and discharge from the unit; this poses a severe projectile risk to the user as well as bystanders. The recall has affected approximately 100 units.
The leaf blowers involved in the recall are all three-wheeled walk-behind blowers; they have an orange, circular metal face and a black center. “DR” is printed on the front. Each leaf blower has a model number printed on the front left side of the impeller housing as well as on the serial number label, which is located on the back-right side of the impeller housing.
The recall specifically involves the following products and model numbers:
- DR PREMIER 1200 Walk Behind Leaf Blower (#WB13010DMN)
- DR PRO 2000 Walk Behind Leaf Blower (#WB15020DMN)
- DR PRO 2000 Walk Behind Leaf Blower (#WB15020DEN)
- DR PRO 2000SP Walk Behind Leaf Blower (#WB17020DEN)
The defective leaf blowers were sold online at www.drpower.com as well as at authorized DR Power Equipment dealers nationwide. The leaf blowers were available from September 2019 to November 2019; the walk behind leaf blowers ranged in price from $800 to $1,700.
According to the recall, there have been at least eight reports of the leaf blower’s blades breaking and discharging from the blowers; however, no injuries have been reported. The company is urging all affected consumers to contact them for further instructions on receiving a refund.
Even though the company claims that no injuries have been reported in association with their defective product, it is possible that there have been a number of unreported incidents and injuries. If you believe that the harm that you suffered was a direct result of the defective walk-behind leaf blowers, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance immediately. Depending on the details surrounding your incident, you might have grounds to file a claim.
Could you really file a claim? Your right to file a claim will always be based on the specific details surrounding the harm that you or a member of your family suffered. If the harm that you suffered was a direct result of a defective product, you will likely have grounds to file a product liability claim.
If you would like to learn more about your right to file a product liability claim for the harm that you or a member of your family suffered in association with a defective product, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our law firm at your earliest convenience.
Normandie Law Firm is a personal injury law firm with many years of experience handling all sorts of claims – always representing the best interests of our clients. Our product liability lawyers have many years of experience representing the consumers that have been wrongfully harmed the companies. Our lawyers are ready to represent you and guide you towards suing Country Home Products and recovering the compensation that you deserve.
About the Hazard
According to the recall, the blades inside the leaf blower can break off and discharge from the product, representing a projectile risk to both users and bystanders. Without a doubt, projectile blades post a significant risk to users and bystanders. They could strike unsuspecting parties and cause a number of injuries. Lacerations, severed fingers, punctured arteries, nerve injuries, severe blood loss, and many other injuries are possible. Depending on the severity of the incident, these injuries could potentially be fatal. Whether the hazard resulted in injuries or fatalities, it is important to note that the company that made the defective product available to the public might be held accountable.
Understanding Product Liability
Who is liable for the harm caused by defective products? Unfortunately, many consumers assume that they were injured because they were using the product incorrectly. No one expects products to be defective; after all the companies that make these products available to the public know what they are doing. Unfortunately, even the most prestigious of companies can fail to ensure that their products are safe for consumers to use. This puts unsuspecting consumers at risk of injury.
So, who is liable for the harm resulting from a defective product? Based on product liability, all companies owe their consumers a duty of care. Specifically, all companies, such as Country Home Products, have a duty to ensure that their products are safe for consumer use. If companies fail to identify and address any defects present in their products, they are putting their consumers at risk of being harmed.
Because these companies owe their consumers a duty of care, failing to ensure that their products remain safe represents a breached duty of care. As soon as a breach of duty contributes to an incident which results in harm, the company could be found accountable for the harm suffered.
In other words, based on product liability, companies could be held liable for the harm associated with their defective products. This means that affected consumers could sue them. If you would like to learn more about product liability, do not hesitate to contact our firm at your earliest convenience.
You Could Sue and Receive Compensation
As explained above, companies could be liable for the harm associated with defective products. Therefore, these companies could be sued. If affected consumers decide to sue, they could be eligible to recover monetary compensation for the harm that they suffered.
Could you really be awarded any monetary compensation? If you are eligible to receive compensation, what could you receive? What type of compensation could you recover? How much compensation could you be awarded? The answers to these questions will always depend on the details surrounding your claim.
Although all defective product claims are different, some claimants are often eligible to recover compensation for some of the following:
- Medical expenses
- Lost earnings
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage
- Loss of consortium
- Funeral and burial costs
- Punitive damages
For more information about the type and amount of compensation that you might be eligible to recover, do not hesitate to contact our law firm at your earliest convenience. Our product liability attorneys are ready to aggressively fight for your right to recover the highest amount of compensation available for your defective product claim. To learn more about the compensation that you could possibly recover if your claim is successful, do not hesitate to contact our firm at your earliest convenience.
What Should You Do?
If you or a member of your family suffered any type of harm as a direct result of the walk behind leaf blowers that were recently recalled, it is essential that you take the necessary steps to prepare to take legal action. Unfortunately, far too many people can never hold the liable company liable for the harm suffered due to defective products because they simply fail to take the necessary actions immediately after being harmed.
What should you do? Immediately after suffering harm associated with a defective product, affected parties should do the following:
- Stop using the defective product immediately
- Take photos of the harm caused by the defective product
- Take photos of the defective product (and of any pieces that break off)
- Put the defective product in a safe place, where it will remain as-is (do not tamper with the defective product in any way)
- Contact the company to report the defective product and the harm suffered because of the product
- Do not agree to a refund or voucher for the value of the product
- Do not agree to a free exchange
- Do not agree to a free repair
- Do not agree to return the defective product to the company
- Speak to witnesses, if available
- Gather surveillance video, if available
- Collect all records relevant to the purchase of the defective product (including receipts, bank statements, email confirmations, etc.)
- Collect all records relevant to the medical expenses associated with the defective product
- Seek legal assistance with a product liability attorney immediately
At our firm, we understand that sometimes it is difficult to know what to do next. Because of that, our experts are ready to guide you every step of the way. If you are ever unsure of what you should do next, simply seek legal assistance with the experts at our law firm at your earliest convenience.
The Statute of Limitations
Depending on the details surrounding your claim, you might have grounds to sue. If you have the right to sue, you might also have the right to recover monetary compensation for the harm suffered. However, if you fail to act promptly to file your claim, you could lose your right to sue.
All claims are subject to a statute of limitations. A statute of limitations determines the specific length of time that claimants have to file their claims. Statutes of limitations are designed so that claimants can file promptly and to ensure that defendants aren’t forced to face claims that arose from incidents too far in the past (that they might be unable to disprove).
What happens if claimants fail to file their claims within the time allowed by the specific statute of limitations? If claims are not filed on time, claimants will – unfortunately – lose their right to sue.
How long do you have to pursue your claim? In California, product liability claims are typically subject to a two-year statute of limitations, meaning that claimants have two years to file their claims. However, certain exceptions could apply to the applicable deadline. Some exceptions are based on the victim’s age and the victim’s mental competency, for example. If any exceptions apply, the applicable statute of limitations could be tolled for an extended length of time.
To ensure that you have a thorough understanding of the statute of limitations and any exceptions that might apply to your claim, do not hesitate to contact the experts at our law firm at your earliest convenience.
Contact Our Law Firm Today
Did you or a member of your family suffer harm associated with the defective leaf blowers recently recalled by Country Home Products? If you or a member of your family were harmed after being exposed to a defective product, your injuries could have been completely avoided. In fact, your injuries could be directly related to the defective product. If so, you might have grounds to pursue a claim. You could sue the company that negligently contributed to the harm that you suffered.
At Normandie Law Firm, our experts are dedicated to providing all affected parties with the representation that they need to pursue their claims against the companies that negligently harmed them. To remain accessible and help as many affected consumers as possible, our firm offers free legal services – our free legal services include free consultations and free second opinions. During these free legal services, our lawyers will be available to answer all your questions, address all your concerns, and essentially provide you with all the information necessary to begin or continue/redirect your claim. Would you like to benefit from these free legal services? If so, do not hesitate to contact our firm today.
Our firm offers a Zero-Fee guarantee – which ensures that our clients will never be required to pay any upfront legal fees for any of our legal services. Our law firm is also strictly based on a contingency structure, meaning that our clients will not be responsible for paying anything until after reaching a successful claim outcome. If you do not win, you will not be required to pay anything.
Are you ready to discuss the possibility of pursuing a claim against Country Home Products for the harm suffered because of their defective walk behind leaf blowers? If so, do not hesitate to contact our law firm at your earliest convenience.
Other Pages on Our Website Related to This Topic
Infantino Recalls Infant Carriers due to Fall Risk
Bobcat Company Recalls UTVs due to Collision and Crash Risk
Pier 1 Issues a Recall for Desk Chairs due to Fall and Injury Risk
