For any San Marcos residents who regularly use a Cuisinart food processor in the kitchen, it is extremely important to be aware of a recent product recall that could impact your family’s safety. In most households, we have come to expect that high-end kitchen appliances are safe for use. In particular, devices made by companies like Kitchenaid, Vitamix, and Cuisinart are supposed to provide decades of use as long as they are properly cared for by their owners. However, according to a recent article from ABC 10 News, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), along with Conair (the maker of Cuisinart kitchen appliances), has issued a recall for millions of Cuisinart food processors.

What is wrong with these small kitchen appliances? They pose a risk of laceration, and dozens of consumers across the country have already reported suffering serious mouth injuries as a result of the product defect.

Defective Riveted Blade in Cuisinart Food Processors Results in Massive Recall

In the early weeks of the holiday season, Cuisinart and the CPSC issued a recall for nearly eight million Cuisinart food processors, reporting that the blades could be defective and could result in severe personal injuries. How did the company know about the problem with the food processor blades? It received reports from a wide variety of nearly 70 consumers who indicated they had found “broken blade pieces in their processed food.” Of those consumers, 30 of them (or about 43% of those who filed a report with Cuisinart or the CPSC) indicated that they had sustained “mouth lacerations or tooth injuries.”

Although much kitchen preparation and cooking takes place around the holiday season, just because we have already entered into 2017 does not mean you should avoid taking action on this recall. According to Elliot Kaye, the CPSC Chairman, Cuisinart food processors “are in millions of American homes, including my own.” He emphasized the need to heed the recall notice: “You find out that there’s a problem when you bite down and you cut your mouth and you break your teeth . . . . With all the cooking that’s going on this holiday season [and beyond], we’re really urging consumers to act immediately.”

Check Your Food Processor’s Model Number and Replace the Defective Blade

The defect is not in the small kitchen appliance as a whole, but rather in the riveted blade. How can you identify a defective blade? As the article explains, these blade have four rivets, the blades are made of stainless steel, and they are connected to a beige center made of plastic. There are 22 different model numbers that have been affected by the recall. If you own a Cuisinart food processor, you should immediately check the bottom of it to ensure that you do now have one of the following recalled model numbers: CFP-9, CFP-11, DFP-7, DFP-11, DFP-14, DLC-7, DLC-8, DLC-10, DLC-XP, DLC-2007, DLC-2009, DLC-2011, DLC-2014, DLC-3011, DLC-3014, EV-7, EV-10, EV-11, EV-14, KFP-7, and MP-14.

Do not assume that your product was not affected simply because you have had it for years. The recall affects models that were made and sold between July 1996 and December 2015. In other words, a Cuisinart food processor that you have been using for the last two decades could cause serious injuries. If you do own one of the affected model numbers, you should stop using it immediately and should contact Cuisinart for a replacement blade.

Contact a San Marcos Product Liability Lawyer

If you or someone in your family suffered injuries caused by a defective product, a San Marcos product liability lawyer can help. Contact the Walton Law Firm today to discuss your case.

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(image courtesy of Fourinthemorning)

Did your child ask for a Hoverboard for Christmas? Did you decide that the warm winter weather in San Diego would make for an amenable environment in which to learn how to use a Hoverboard? Regardless of whether children or adults use these devices, numerous reports suggest that serious personal injuries arise when people attempt to use these dangerous consumer products. According to a recent report from CNET.com, “despite their coolness, this tech fad has a dangerous side.”

Learning More About Hoverboards What is a Hoverboard? Perhaps you have seen these devices on television or on neighborhood streets. In short, they are self-balancing, two-wheeled scooters that quickly became “one of the hottest toys of the year,” according to the article. Celebrities can be seen gliding around on Hoverboards, while kids of all ages likely want a chance to ride one.

As the article explains, new Hoverboards really are more like “miniature Segways minus the handlebars.” They respond to the user’s movement, “moving forward when you lean forward and braking and reversing when you lean back.” Unlike a skateboard (another two-wheeled device), Hoverboard users face forward (just like with a Segway scooter). Very subtle movements of the “feet, legs, and torso” control the movement of the Hoverboard. The user’s physical movement also controls the speed. There are pressure-sensitive footpads that allow you to press harder to speed up and to let up on the pressure to slow down. As soon as a rider steps onto the Hoverboard, the device begins moving. As such, they are “tricky to mount and dismount.”

In addition to difficulties with mounting and dismounting, the lack of handlebars also prevents the user from having anything with which to steady him or herself. As the CNET.com article notes, “it’s easy to fall off while you get used to the board.”

Hoverboard Personal Injury Risks While these devices might look like they could be fun to use, there are two major injury risks that allegedly accompany the use of Hoverboards:

• Risk of the device exploding and catching on fire; and
• Risk of serious falls.

When it comes to the risk of fire, these dangerous products may in fact be defective. Given the number of Hoverboards that have exploded, “cities are banning them from roads and sidewalks,” while “airlines won’t let you bring them onto planes.” In addition, online retailers, including major ones like Amazon and Overstock, have decided to stop selling certain Hoverboard models and even have gone as far as to tell consumers to “trash ones they’ve already received.” There has been no official recall, however.

In addition to the risk of fire-related injuries, the difficulty of balancing and maneuvering on Hoverboards also makes fall-related injuries a serious problem. While physicians recommend using proper safety gear—such as a helmet, knee pads, wrist pads, and elbow pads—a fall can still result in severe injuries, including but not limited to:

• Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs);
• Neck injuries;
• Back injuries; and
• Broken bones.

Many new consumer products can pose serious risks to users. If you or someone you love sustained a serious injury while using a Hoverboard, you may be able to file a claim for compensation. You should discuss your case with an experienced San Diego personal injury attorney as soon as possible. Contact the Walton Law Firm today to learn more about how we can assist with your claim.

See Related Blog Posts: NTSB Says Product Recall System is Broken IKEA Product Defects and Your Child’s Safety