Articles Tagged with defective household products

We have been hearing a lot about led poisoning in connection with the environmental disaster and public health crisis in Flint, Michigan as result of the poisoned water supply that has been discovered. However, Flint is not the only place where lead is a problem.  In some cases, lead poisoning can be a result of contaminated water, and in other cases, it can be the result of a defective or dangerous product that contains lead or lead-based paint.

old-brush-1389549-mWhile lead poisoning can harm individuals of any age, children are often the most a risk.  The reason for this is because the lead particles enter a patient’s bloodstream at a young age when the brain and nervous system is still being developed, and this can result in serious developmental disorders and learning disorders.  A recent article from The Atlantic deals with this issue.  In that article, the lead poisoning is a result of a potential case of widespread lead contamination in Newark, New Jersey schools. Continue reading

The China-based Gree Electric Appliances Inc. and its partners have agreed to pay a $15.45 million civil penalty after U.S. regulators alleged the company’s dehumidifiers posed a fire and burn risk to consumers and the company failed to warn them or take immediate action to remedy the problem.fireextinguishers

Gree manufactured and sold some 2.5 million dehumidifiers at big name stores throughout the country under more than a dozen different brand names. But when the company learned that its units were posting a fire and burn risk, it failed consumers and regulators on several fronts. Among those:

  • The company intentionally failed to report a defect and the unreasonable risk of severe injury to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) right away within 24 hours as required under federal law.
  • The company intentionally misrepresented key facts to investigators with CPSC as they were delving into the reported issues.
  • The company sold these products indicating they were UL safety certified, despite the fact it was known these products did not meet the basic UL flammability standards.

The devices were sold under highly-recognized brand names, such as GE, Kenmore, Frigidaire and Soleus Air.  Continue reading

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