Napa Home and Garden Recalls Defective Firepots Following Numerous Injuries
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Napa Home and Garden, Inc. has announced a voluntary recall of its firepots after 37 reports of problems, 23 of these being burn injuries. Some of these injuries have been serious enough to require hospitalization.
Most of the problems stem from the firepots bursting in to flames after lighting. Two victims who received serious burns have filed lawsuits against the company. One Florida woman was visiting relatives in South Carolina when flames from a nearby firepot shot up in flames, leaving her with burns on 30% of her body. The incident occurred on May 25th, and as of June 22nd she remained in intensive care.
In another incident with injuries, a South Carolina woman suffered badly burned legs after her husband lit a firepot and it exploded, causing a fire. Her husband was also injured, though not as seriously as the woman who almost lost her left foot and underwent numerous surgeries. Rachael Smilowitz is a 33-year-old mother of two children, and one of the two individuals to file a lawsuit against the company.
The firepot fuel has been sold at gift stores, national and regional chains, Amazon.com and other stores including Bed, Bath and Beyond since December of 2009. The firepot fuel is a clear, flammable gel that is to be poured in to a stainless steel section inside of the firepot, which is used for decorative purposes. While the gel is meant to burn slowly, many who have purchased the firepots have had the NAPAfire and FIREGEL Gel Fuel products flare up when lit.
Individuals filing these lawsuits allege negligence on the part of the makers of the firepot, Georgia-based Napa Home and Garden, Inc. and the companies that supply the packaging and fuel for the firepots.
The gel fuel is clear and packaged in one-gallon plastic jugs as well as one quart plastic bottles. Consumers are urged to stop using the gel fuel immediately and to return the product to the retailer where purchased for a full refund. Approximately 460,000 jugs and bottles were involved in this recall.
It is often surprising that the simplest things can result in serious injuries. These decorative firepots typically cost between $5 and $78, and you wouldn’t expect a product that you light to add beauty to your home would burst into flames. Defective products often catch the consumer unaware, often resulting in catastrophic injuries.
Brown Chiari is a team of Buffalo defective product attorneys dedicated to protecting the rights of our clients. Contact one of our Buffalo injury attorneys for a free evaluation of your claim.
