The 3 Strangest Recalls of All Time

By Staff Writer

There are new product recalls that come out every day.

You might think that proper testing means getting injured from a defective product is uncommon, but product liability cases are actually one of the most common types of civil lawsuits out there.

Companies eager to make a quick buck oftentimes fail to administer appropriate testing on their products before they are in the hands of thousands of customers. It is almost inevitable that at least one untested product will cause a minor or serious injury, or possibly even death.

Some of these recalls are truly dangerous, others are simply embarrassing and bizarre, and a few are both. Here are three examples of the latter group:

#3: A Gun Holster that Spontaneously Fires Your Gun

The 2002 version of a holster for Glock model handguns was discovered to have a defective retention strap. The strap, which was ironically enough, designed to prevent the accidental firing of the weapon by securing it in place, was known to shift into a position that pulled the trigger of the gun when it was reholstered—much to the surprise of the gun owner.

#2: A Flammable Fire Extinguisher

A company called Colbra Corporation released a line of fire extinguishers, known as Fire Caps, in the 1990s. The product resembled a hairspray can, and was intended to be used in suppressing spot fires on stoves, in trash cans, etc. Unfortunately, people discovered that the aerosol spray didn’t actually work, and in some cases, it actually intensified the flames.

#1: Hand Sanitizer that Makes You Sick

The Clarcon Antimicrobial Hand Sanitizer promised to be an alcohol-free, bioganic formula for total sanitization. But, as testing revealed, the “sanitizer” had high levels of disease-causing bacteria—some pathogens that could even result in serious surgical treatment. Even worse, the product had been heavily marketed as being a sanitizer for open wounds.

Serious Consequences of a Defective Product

As silly and ridiculous as these three recalls were, in reality, product malfunctions can cause significant pain and suffering. It is estimated that every year there are 34 million people who are injured or killed as a result of a product related defect. The costs of these accidents total $12 billion annually.

Manufacturers have deep pockets and clever strategies to get out of paying for injuries that occur from one of their poorly made products, which is why it is highly recommended that victims seek out legal counsel to ensure they receive full compensation for suffering and damages related to the accident.

Visit Recalls.gov to learn about products that are currently in recall by the federal government.

And if you have received an injury from a defective product, call a product liability attorney at Nashville’s Gilreath & Associates for a free consultation today.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »