On September 18, 2019, Kichler Lighting issued a recall for the Elan Shayla Mini Pendant Lights. According to the recall (recall number 19-206), the light sockets can overheat, which could lead to the sockets melting and even catching fire. This represents a significant risk to consumers.
Approximately 750 units (and 289 units in Canada) have been affected by the recall. There have been about 84 incident reports of burnt light fixtures, wires, or sockets. At least three of the reports have consisted of fixture fires. So far, there have been no reports of injuries or property damage.
The recall specifically includes three models of the Elan Shayla Mini Pendant Lights (models 83164, 83163, and 83162). The recalled pendant lights are chrome (with clear glass cylinder pendant lights) with either one, three, or nine pendant lights depending on the specific model. The pendant lights were sold at prices ranging from $45 and $350 from May 2013 to March 2015 at lighting showrooms around the nation.
The company is urging consumers with the recalled light pendants to stop the use of the lighting fixture immediately and contact the store where the purchase was made for a free replacement. Consumers also have the option to contact Kichler Lighting directly for a free replacement.
If you own the defective pendant light but were affected in one way or another, however, you should not simply contact the store or the company for a free replacement. On the contrary, you should avoid following any of the company’s suggestions (besides stopping the use of the defective product) and seek legal assistance instead.
If you or a member of your family suffered any harm associated with a defective product, it is essential that you seek legal assistance as soon as possible – you might have grounds to sue for the harm suffered. To learn more about your right to sue for the harm suffered because of a defective product, do not hesitate to contact the experts at Normandie Law Firm today. Normandie Law Firm is a personal injury law firm with many years of experience handling defective product claims and helping victims and their families recover the compensation that they deserve. If you would like to discuss your claim with our experts, do not hesitate to contact Normandie Law Firm today.
The Dangers of the Defective Pendant Light
As mentioned above, the light sockets can overheat, melt, and even catch fire. Fire is the most significant risk associated with the defective product. If the light fixture suddenly catches fire, it is likely that the fire could causes significant damage, specifically to the consumer and the consumer’s property. A fire could result in extensive property damage. A fire could also result in extensive injuries, including burns (of various degrees), smoke inhalation, and oxygen-depravation, for instance. In many cases, fires result in fatal injuries.
Regardless of the specific harm suffered in association with the defective product, it is important to acknowledge that the harm suffered could have been avoided. Neither you nor your family would have suffered any type of harm if the company would have caught the hazard present in their products prior to making them available to consumers. Essentially, the harm suffered because of a defective product is a direct association to a company’s failure towards their consumers – failures for which they could be held accountable.
Who is Responsible for Harm Caused by Defective Products?
Who is liable for the harm that you suffered? Liability for the harm caused by defective products can usually fall back on the companies that make the defective products available to consumers. Consumers victimized by defective products could pursue claims under something called product liability. Based on product liability, companies have a duty of care towards their consumers. The duty includes making sure that all their products are safe to be used by consumers. When companies fail to ensure that their products are safe for consumer-use, they are breaching their duty of care and putting their consumers at a great risk of harm.
To establish liability, the product defect must be present in the product’s design, labeling, or manufacturing. If any of these defects were present in the product and you or a member of your family was harmed, it is likely that you have the right to pursue a claim based on product liability. For more information about your right to file a defective product claim, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at Normandie Law Firm immediately.
Recovering Monetary Compensation
Because of product liability, you will likely have the right to sue; depending on the specific circumstances surrounding your claim, you might also be eligible to recover at least some sort of compensation for the harm that you suffered. How much could you receive? What type of compensation could you recover? The potential value of your claim and the type of compensation that you could recover will always be based on your claim – so we will always encourage you to seek legal assistance to learn more about what you could recover.
Although every claim is different, some product liability claims could result in the recovery of at least some of the following compensation:
- Medical bills
- Lost income
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage
- Funeral and burial costs
- Loss of consortium
- Punitive damages
When you allow the product liability lawyers at our firm to handle your claim and fight for your right to recover compensation, you can be certain that we will always do everything within our reach to ensure that you are rightfully compensated. Whether we have to negotiate to reach a settlement or take your claim to trial to reach a fair verdict, you can be certain that our product liability lawyers are ready to fight for your right to be compensated. If you are ready to learn more about your right to receive compensation for the harm that you or a member of your family suffered, do not hesitate to contact us today.
Product Liability Claims are subject to Deadlines
In California, product liability claims are generally subject to a two-year statute of limitations. A statute of limitations is a deadline that determines how long affected parties have to file their claims. If affected parties fail to file within the time allowed by the applicable statute of limitations, they will lose their right to sue – and lose their right to recover compensation.
As mentioned above, product liability claims are subject to a two-year deadline; however, exceptions could apply. If any exceptions apply (based on the details surrounding your claim), the applicable statute of limitations could be tolled (paused). For example, if the victim is underage at the time of the incident, the statute is tolled until the victim turns eighteen (so an underage victim would have up to two years after turning eighteen to pursue a claim). Likewise, if the defendant leaves the state, the statute of limitations would be tolled until he or she returned.
Because failing to understand the applicable statute of limitations could negatively impact your ability to pursue a claim, it is essential that you seek legal assistance immediately to ensure that you have a thorough understanding of the deadline that applies to your claim.
Normandie Law Firm
At Normandie Law Firm, we are dedicated to providing all parties affected by defective products the legal assistance that they need to take legal action and hold the liable parties accountable for their actions. At our firm, we have many years of experience handling claims and helping victims and their families recover the compensation that they deserve. If you would like to learn more about your right to pursue a product liability claim for the harm that you suffered, you can trust the experts at our firm. You could speak to our experts by requesting any of our free legal services, which include free consultations and free second opinions. During our free consultations and free second opinions, our lawyers will be available to answer all your questions, address all your concerns, and provide you with all the information that you need to either start or continue your claim.
Our free legal services are available as part of our Zero-Fee guarantee, which ensures that our clients never have to worry about paying any upfront legal fees for any of our legal services. Our firm is also based on a strict contingency structure; therefore, our clients will not be required to pay anything until after reaching a successful claim outcome. If you are ready to learn more about pursuing a claim, do not hesitate to contact us today.
