On March 1, 2018, Goodman Company recalled more than 537,000 Packaged Terminal Air Conditioners/Heat Pumps (PTACs). Most of the recalled PTACs (about 534,000) were sold in the United States; the remaining PTACs (approximately 3,400) were sold in Canada. The following units are all affected by recall number 18-113:
- EKTC15
- EKTH15
- PMC15
- PMH12
- PMH15
- PTC15
- PTH12
- PTH15
- UCYB15
- UCYH15
The recalled models can be found across the following Goodman Company brands: Goodman, Amana, York International, and Energy Knight. The affected models are all beige in color; the first four digits of the units’ serial numbers range from 1001 to 1709. The majority of the affected PTACs are installed in commercial spaces, apartment buildings, schools, hotels, and motels. As mentioned above, more than 537,000 PTCA units were sold between the U.S. and Canada. These units were sold from January 2010 to February 2018 at various locations with prices ranging from $700 to $1,400.
According to recall 18-113, the outdoor fan motors on the PTACs can overheat and pose fire and burn hazards. The recall states that the Goodman Company has received a total of nine reports of their PTACs catching fire. Of the nine reports, one report included respiratory injuries for smoke inhalation. The recall advises consumers to contact the company to receive a free repair kit and professional installation.
Although there is only one report of injury, the instances of PTACs catching on fire are enough to worry about additional injuries. Do you own a PTAC unit affected by the recall? Has your PTAC unit caught fire? If your PTAC unit caught fire and you suffered injuries, you might have grounds to file a claim against the Goodman Company. You have the right to file a claim against the Goodman Company; they should not have sold PTACs with fire and burn hazards. The company’s negligence resulted in your injuries, and you might be eligible to receive compensation for your injuries.
If you are interested in filing a claim against the Goodman Company, you should immediately contact Normandie Law Firm. Normandie Law Firm is a firm dedicated to helping those injured by the negligence of companies. Consumers purchase products like those sold by the Goodman Company without ever thinking that such products can result in injuries. If you were injured by a defective PTAC unit, you should immediately seek legal assistance. Our attorneys can help you understand your right to sue and recover compensation for your injuries. Contact our law firm as soon as possible.
Possible Injuries Sustained
According to the recall, the PTACs pose burn and fire hazards. As mentioned above, many of the recalled units are installed in hotels, motels, apartment buildings, commercial spaces, and schools for climate control. In all of the locations mentioned, there is a constant influx of people. If a PTAC unit suddenly catches fire, there might be many victims. Below, you will find a few of the injuries caused by fire and burn hazards:
- First-degree burns
- Second-degree burns
- Third-degree burns
- Fourth-degree burns
- Smoke inhalation
- Oxygen-depleted air
- Hot gas inhalation
Victims who survive fires often require extensive medical treatment. All injuries mentioned above could result in death of the victim. If you sustained injuries because of the Goodman Company’s defective PTACs, you have the right to compensation. If your loved one’s injuries were too severe for survival, you might also have the right to receive compensation. For more information on filing a claim and recovering compensation, you should contact our law firm immediately.
Eligibility to File a Claim
Are you unsure about your eligibility to file a claim against the Goodman Company for their defective products? After suffering injuries as a result of the recalled PTAC units, you might have considered taking action against the company. However, there are some requirements with which you should be familiar before trying to sue the company. Those who suffer injuries as a result of any product can only file claims if at least one of the following exists:
- A defect in design
- A defect in manufacturing
- A defect in labeling
If you are unsure if any of the above applies to your PTAC unit, you must seek legal assistance as soon as possible. Our attorneys will evaluate your situation and give you all the information you need to help you understand your right to sue.
Preparing for a Claim
The recall of the PTACs urges those affected to contact the company for a free repair kit and professional installation. Although getting your PTAC unit repaired free of charge appears to be the reasonable thing to do, doing so might affect your eligibility to file a defective product claim. To maintain the integrity of your claim, you must do all of the following:
- Seek immediate medical attention for your burn/respiratory injuries.
- Do not return the defective product to the company.
- Do not repair the product yourself or accept free repairs from the company.
- Keep all documents related to the defective product (receipts, order confirmations, warranty, shipping confirmations, etc.).
You should never return or alter the defective product, regardless of company recommendations. If you return or repair the item, you are destroying most of the evidence for your claim. If you do everything mentioned above, you should not encounter any complications when you contact our firm and speak with our attorneys. Our attorneys will evaluate the information you provide and guide you the rest of the way towards a successful claim against the Goodman Company.
Compensation Available for Defective Product Claims
If you are interested in filing a claim against the Goodman Company, you might be interested in receiving information about the types of compensation available for your claim. If you suffered injuries because of a defective PTAC unit, you might be eligible to recover the following categories of compensation:
- Medical expenses
- Lost income
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage
- Punitive damages
- Loss of consortium
- Funeral and burial costs
For more information about the type and amount of compensation you might receive, you should speak with our attorneys as soon as possible. Upon evaluating the specific details of your claim, our experienced product liability attorneys will give you additional information about the specific categories of compensation you might receive, as well as estimated amounts. The attorneys at Normandie Law Firm are dedicated to helping the victims of defective products recover the maximum amount of compensation for their claims. Do not hesitate to contact our law firm; our attorneys are ready to fight for your right to compensation.
Statute of Limitations
A statute of limitations is a time limit, or a deadline to sue, that is placed on all claims. The statute of limitations that applies to your claim determines the length of time that you have to file your claim. Victims of defective products have two years to file their claims against the company liable for their injuries. If you were injured by a PTAC unit sold by the Goodman Company, a two-year statute of limitations applies to your claim. Therefore, you have two years to file your claim. If you do not file your claim within the established statute of limitations, you might lose your right to file a lawsuit. Although the two-year statute of limitations for your defective product claim is strict, some exceptions might apply. These exceptions might lengthen the time you have to file your claim. Since exceptions depend on the specific details of your claim, you must immediately contact our law firm for a case evaluation.
Normandie Law Firm
All companies must ensure that their products are safe for consumer use before they make them available for purchase. Unfortunately, many products—like the PTAC units—are released to the public and are later recalled due to safety concerns. The safety concerns are identified only after consumers experience incidents with the products. With the PTAC units, the burn and fire hazards were not identified before being released to the public. The concerning safety hazards were identified on March 1, 2018; ten years after the first PTACs were made available. Because of the length of time elapse between the release of the product and the recall, there are more than 537,000 with the risks of fire and burns. If you were injured by a PTAC unit that is included in recall 18-113, you must immediately contact our law firm for legal assistance.
Our law firm offers free consultations and free second opinions to all victims of defective products. During our free consultations and free second opinions, our attorneys will be available to answer all your questions and concerns. It does not matter if you are starting your legal process with our law firm or if you have already started your legal process at another law firm; our attorneys will clarify all your confusion and address all your doubts. Our experienced defective product attorneys will give you all the information you need to file a successful product liability claim. Are you worried about an incompetent lawyer handling your claim? When you contact our firm, you can be certain that you will be speaking with the most knowledgeable attorneys. Our attorneys will never rush through your claim and risk overlooking or neglecting key details. Our attorneys will treat you with dignity and respect at all times, and they will treat you and your claim as our number one priority. Whether you have already started your claim or you want to start your claim, our attorneys are ready to help you. Do not hesitate to contact our law firm and request to speak with our attorneys—our attorneys will fight for your right to be compensated for your injuries.
Our free legal services are available through our Zero-Fee guarantee. Our law firm’s Zero-Fee guarantee ensures that our clients never have to worry about paying any upfront legal fees for our legal services. Our guarantee applies to more than our consultations and second opinions; it applies to the legal fees once your case has been closed. Our law firm is strictly based on contingency; therefore, our clients will not have to pay any legal fees until our attorneys win their claims. If you do not win, you will not be required to pay. If you want to fight for your right to compensation after your injuries caused by a defective PTAC unit, you must contact our law firm as soon as possible.
