Lawsuit Involving Dangerous Stoves Settled - Sears to replace dangerous stoves
For decades, certain manufacturers of stoves have known of a dangerous feature of their product which has killed or maimed hundreds of people, including young children.
According to Joan Claybrook, a consumer advocated with Public Citizen, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the government agency allegedly responsible for protecting consumers from these types of dangerous products, knew about the problem for 25 years and did nothing.
As part of the settlement, Sears has agreed to notify 4 million customers who may have bought stoves between July 2000 and September 2007. Sears will agree to install (for free) anti-tip safety brackets or receive a gift certificate or reimbursement of up to $100.
The dangerous feature on the stove is its tendency to tip over on top of people when the oven door is opened. When the stove tips over, anything on top that is hot, or anything in the oven that's hot, can tip over and cause severe, even fatal, burn injuries.
How to protect yourself from stove-related injuries?
CNN has five good suggestions on stove safety.
1. Install anti-tip safety brackets on any new or existing stove;
2. Do not sit on or place heavy objects on open over door;
3. Turn pot handles away from the front of stove to prevent hot food spilling;
4. Use back burners instead of front when feasible to protect children and pets;
5. Never leave a hot stove top unattended.
To learn more about the Sears stove recall, visit www.searsrangesettlement.com.
Click here to visit the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
To learn more about Public Citizen and their efforts to protect consumers from dangerous, click here.
