Sunsetter Motorized Awning Covers Sold by Costco Have Been Recalled
DIY home-improvement is easier than ever with a plethora of video tutorials and written explanations available for free online, and department stores carrying everything one needs for a weekend project. For those who bought certain vinyl covers for a motorized awning from Costco, this weekend may be time for a new DIY project to make the awnings safe for use. These awning covers, made to expand at the push of a button and keep the sun off your patio and out of your windows, came with a bungee cord to keep the product compact when retracted. These bungees have since been the cause of 6 injuries and a death: Though the motorized awning could not move while restrained by the bungee, force built up in the awning as it tried to unfurl. Upon the bungee’s removal the awning was liable to pop out at high speed and could knock people off their feet. Over 270,000 awnings have been sold over the past 20 years, putting many Americans at risk. When poorly manufactured products like this make it to the market, consumers should explore their options for recourse.
Were You Injured by a Faulty Product?
Sunsetter plans to organize the recall and provide an alternative method of securing the awnings when retracted, but a product replacement is a poor prize for anyone who has sustained an injury due to product malfunction. After all, the awning itself likely cost less than the medical bills of anyone who was hurt when removing the bungee restraints after starting the awning’s motor.
Products Can Cause Severe Injury
Some product malfunctions are no big deal but, as in the case of the Sunsetter awnings, some can be quite dangerous. The force of the awning’s expansion after being released from the bungees was enough to knock people off their feet. Anyone who sustained a strain or bone fracture from this may be able to recover costs, including their medical bills, lost wages, and other related expenses. Some injuries don’t heal after a few weeks in a cast. In fact, they may affect the rest of your life. Falls can result in irreversible brain damage that causes mental or physical handicaps. These catastrophic injuries allow you to pursue a much wider range of damages to cover continuing costs, including recurring medical care, inability to return to your job, and renovations or devices needed to help with your resulting disability.
Product Liability in Cases of Death
Nothing can replace the loss of a loved one, but you may at least be able to hold the manufacturer of a faulty product responsible with a wrongful death suit. Families of the deceased can make the company pay for lost income, funeral expenses, and maybe even emotional or punitive damages.
Working to Keep Consumers Safe
Our team at Williams DeClark Tuschman fights back against companies that place dangerous products on the market. When it comes to injury or even death, we are on your side in the fight to make sellers answer for faulty or malfunctioning consumer goods. Contact us online or call (419) 719-5195 with your questions about product liability suits.