You don’t expect to be in danger from your own ceiling fan.
In December 2020, around 190,000 Hampton Bay 54-inch Mara Indoor/Outdoor fans were recalled after people reported being hurt by blades detaching from the fans.
So far there have been 47 reports of blades detaching from fans while spinning. In two of those reports, the blades hit people, while in four the blades caused property damage. It’s not clear if those hit by the blades were injured.
The fans had been available for sale at Home Depot from April to October 2020. The recall includes fans which have matte white, matte black, black, and polished nickel finishes.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), 182,000 fans were sold in the United States and 8,800 were sold in Canada.
But a Home Depot spokeswoman said that only 80,000 fans were actually sold to the public, and the figures indicated were those of all fans available for sale at the store and online.
She also said Home Depot is “committed to the safety and quality of our products, so we contacted the Consumer Product Safety Commission and voluntarily recalled the product and stopped sales when we discovered the issue.”
Commission Asks Customers to Stop Use Immediately
The Consumer Product Safety Commission requested that customers stop using all fans in this model. It also told customers to contact King of Fans, the distributor, for a free replacement for their fan if they noticed odd blade movement or irregular gaps between the blades and fan body.
King of Fans released a statement to customers last week, indicating the issues in the fan were due to an isolated manufacturing defect.
The distributor said not all of the Hampton Bay 54-inch Mara Indoor/Outdoor fans were defective. It also shared the link to a video to guide customers about how to find out if their fan was affected by the defect.
“We take pride in the quality of our products, and the safety of our customers is our priority,” the statement read.
Faulty Fan Issues Are Common
This is the not the first time fans have been recalled for a manufacturing defect. In February 2020, more than 70,000 fans sold at Lowe’s were recalled nationwide. The model in question was a Harbor Breeze 48-inch Santa Ana Ceiling Fan.
These fans were also shown to have faulty blades which ejected or detached from the fans. The Consumer Product Safety Commission received 210 reports from customers, including 10 reports of fan blades hitting customers.
These fans had been sold from May 2014 to January 2016. Customers were asked to immediately stop using the ceiling fan and contact the manufacturers for a free set of replacement blade holders.
It’s important to keep track of recalls from the Consumer Product Safety Commission to ensure the safety of you and your family members. A list of these recalls can be obtained here.
Make sure you do your research before you buy any product. And if you are injured by a defective product, don’t hesitate to come forward and file a complaint. Your action may prevent others from suffering in the future.
For a free legal consultation, call 800-934-6555
We Can Help
Manufacturers and distributors of products have a duty toward their customers. They need to ensure their products are safe to use and don’t harm people in any way. In case of any defect, the company should be prepared to replace or compensate the affected customer.
A damaged product could cause severe injury to a customer, even leading to death. Companies should be held accountable for the quality of their goods.
The product liability lawyers at Pintas & Mullins have a lot of experience navigating complex issues pertaining to manufacturing defects, corporate negligence, and personal injury. If you need guidance for any damage suffered due to a faulty product, reach out to us today. Any consultation is completely free and you won’t be charged a penny until a settlement is reached.
Call or text 800-934-6555 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
