Defective Fire Extinguisher Recall
I’m Ed Smith, a Fresno Wrongful Death Lawyer. After 391 reported malfunctions, 16 injuries, and one tragic death, 40.5 million Kidde fire extinguishers were recalled on Wednesday November 1, 2017.
Affected Units
Fire extinguishers manufactured by Kidde from 1973 through 2017, covering 134 models and over 40 million units, have been recalled due to the potential for clogging and requiring excessive force to activate during an emergency. The recalled safety devices are also reported to pose an impact hazard as the nozzle can detach with significant force during normal operation. For a complete list of recalled products, please refer to the United States Consumer Safety Commission.
Call to Action
Affected Kidde products were sold through many different stores including Sears, Walmart, Home Depot, and Amazon.com. Recalled fire extinguishers were also sold as accessories on commercial trucks, RVs and boats. Kidde is offering replacements though their hotline 855-271-0773. No proof of purchase is required. Kidde has pledged to replace defective extinguishers with new ones made with metal parts at no charge.
Injuries, Deaths, and Malfunctions to Brendan Rosko
Kidde’s malfunctioning fire extinguishers have already been implicated in numerous incidents ranging from property damage to death. A defective Kidde extinguisher is thought to have played a role in the death of 22-year-old Brendan Rosko after his car struck a tree and burst into flames but emergency responders were unable to fight the resulting fire due to faulty extinguishers. As many as 16 other incidents also resulted in burns and other injuries. Kidde reportedly paid out a substantial settlement in a wrongful death case brought by Mr. Rosko’s family.
According to former California chief fire marshal James McMullen: it is actually safer to have no fire extinguisher than a defective one- if you attack a fire thinking you’re going to put it out but a defective fire extinguisher doesn’t work, you’ve put yourself in harm’s way.
Related Articles by Fresno Wrongful Death Lawyer, Ed Smith
- Fatal Single Vehicle Accident Near Fresno County
- Truck Accident Fatally Injures Woman Near Fresno County
- Rollover Accident Fatally Injures Fresno Family
Fresno Wrongful Death Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Wrongful Death Lawyer in Fresno. Have you or someone you love been injured or even killed in an accident? Please don’t hesitate to call me at (559) 377-7676 or (800) 404-5400 for free and friendly advice with no obligation. I can also be reached online at www.AutoAccident.com.
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Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons, Fire Extinguisher by JonathanLamb. Public Domain.
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