As if the recall of millions of exploding smartphones wasn’t enough, over the weekend, Samsung Electronics Company issued a voluntary recall of more than 2.8 million washing machines for a safety problem.
According to the announcement posted on the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) website, the top-loading washers are being recalled because the tops can become detached and fly off the machine while they are being operated. The recall was issued after the company received more than 700 reports of incidents in which the top came off. Nine of those reports included “impact injuries,” including at least one broken jaw, which suggests that the top comes off with a lot of force.
The washing machines being recalled include a total of 34 top-loading models sold at various stores, including prominent retailers like Best Buy, The Home Depot, Sears, and Lowe’s, throughout the United States and Canada between March 2011 and November 2016. The complete list can be found here. The company and the CPSC note that these top-loaders present a risk of injury when they are used on the high-speed spin cycle. The company is asking that anyone who has one of these machines not do another load of laundry until they contact Samsung.
This latest recall is likely to raise questions about the company and its reaction time when it comes to problems with its products. Samsung already faces several lawsuits over their washers, including at least one other suit alleging that their washing machines exploded while they were using them. That lawsuit alleges that Samsung has “known that their washers blow themselves apart since at least Oct. 24, 2013, when one of their washers exploded in California, injuring a woman.”
For this recall, Samsung is offering consumers a number of options when it comes to fixing this problem, including in-home repairs, rebates, and refunds. Consumers also will receive label kits. Until then, consumers are being asked to lower-speed spin cycles when washing bulky items. They said they were working closely with the CPSC and retailers who sold these machines to get the word out.
If you have one of these Samsung washing machines or you think you may have one of them, contact Samsung as soon as possible and follow the instructions of the recall exactly. In the meantime, either stop using the machine or use a slower spin cycle and keep everyone away from the machine to the extent possible. If the top can break a jaw, it can possibly do a lot more damage to a small child or a pet. If you or someone you love have been seriously injured by this or any other defective consumer product, please contact the Consumer Product Defect Injury Lawyer atthe Hill Law Firm as soon as possible. We can investigate the situation and make sure those companies pay for any negligence on their part.