33 commercial grade smoke detectors are being recalled. These detectors are used primarily in commercial buildings, schools, hotels and motels, apartments, dormitories and some residences. Radio frequency interference can cause the smoke detectors to fail to alert consumers of a fire. The smoke detectors are sold under the brand names of Edwards (ESL) and Interlogix. The smoke alarms are made in China and the companies that import and sell the smoke alarms are subsidiaries of United Technologies Corp. of Hartford, Connecticut.
The troubling aspect of this recall is tens of thousands or perhaps millions of college students are preparing to move into dormitories in the next few weeks which essentially will be without adequate fire protection. School children are at risk as are residents of nursing homes and hospital patients. Currently over 150,000 of these defective smoke alarms are in place.
How many children, college students, elderly or sick people are at risk for burn injuries? Possibly millions. How many of the institutions which have these defective alarms will actually receive notice of the recall and how many will follow through to make sure the defective smoke alarms are replaced? Certainly many of these alarms will slip through the cracks of a national recall.
Who will be responsible for the inevitable deaths and burn injuries when occupants of the institutions protected by these defective smoke alarms do not receive notice of the next deadly house fire? The manufacturers and sellers of defective smoke alarms sold in the United States are liable for the needless harms and losses caused when these safety devices fail.
If you have comments or questions regarding the legal rights of consumers who are injured because of a smoke detector’s failure to sound an alarm, contact a product liability attorney.
