Signature Hardware has issued a recall for its Wall-Mounted Shower Seats. The recall was stated on December 4th, 2018, and includes around 7,200 units, around 80 of which were sold in Canada. The units were sold at Signature Hardware and could be purchased over the phone or through the website between January 2011 and July 2018; further, other units were sold at the Barclay Products showroom in Illinois from October 2013 to June 201. The units cost between $150 and $160.
The units were recalled due to numerous reports of the seats breaking; the aluminum hardware that supports the seats can corrode due to moisture and rust, which can cause falls and various injuries. The seats can fold up and down to conserve space in the shower, and the support rods have either nickel, chrome, or bronze finish on the aluminum.
The recall was issued because of nearly 200 reports of broken shower seats. Of those reports, 37 resulted in falls, and 23 involved injuries like bruises, lacerations, scrapes, and fractures.
The shower seats were manufactured in China and imported by Clawfoot Supply, a Signature Hardware affiliate, in Kentucky. Recalled seats feature the SKU number of 917726 on email confirmations and purchase receipts.
Consumers who purchased the shower seats are advised to immediately stop using them, uninstall them from their showers, and contact Signature Hardware for a refund. However, if you suffered an injury, you can take legal action against the company.
Injuries from Falls in the Shower
If you fell in the shower due to the Signature Hardware wall-mounted shower seat suddenly breaking, you could have suffered numerous injuries. Some of these injuries may be worsened because of how slippery it is in the shower, which can cause you to be unable to catch yourself before you hit the ground. Some of the injuries include:
- Broken bones
- Fractures
- Sprains
- Lacerations and abrasions
- Cuts and bruises
- Hip and knee damage
- Spinal cord injury
- Aggravation of pre-existing injuries
Some of these injuries may be more serious than others and could have long-lasting effects. Further, age can play a large role in the severity of these injuries. For example, elderly individuals who suffer falls are already more likely to be seriously hurt, but the risks increase much more when in slippery locations (and especially with damaged items nearby that can give way upon being sat on).
If you were hurt due to a fall from a broken wall-mounted shower seat, contact our firm for more assistance.
Steps to Take after an Injury due to a Defective Product
Many individuals do not know how to best proceed after being injured from using something that malfunctioned. They may believe their own usage caused the product to break, but that is not always the case. If a product was recalled, it is almost certainly not your fault if it broke while you were using it, and as such, you are entitled to certain compensation from the company if there were negative effects. If you were hurt after using a defective product, you should make sure to follow these steps to have the best chance of success in your lawsuit.
- Don’t return the item to the store or ship it back to the company. If you do, you will lose the key piece of evidence for a lawsuit. You should also be careful to not accept a refund, as the company can claim that you were already compensated, and further attempts to get paid are excessive.
- Photograph the broken item: This will help showcase how the item was damaged and if there were any visible flaws.
- Do not try to fix the product: If you attempt to fix the shower seat, you could either make the damage worse or cause another party to be unsure of what damage you caused and what damage was caused by the malfunction.
- Get medical treatment: You should always go to the doctor to be treated for your injuries, especially if you fell while in the shower. The doctor can treat you at the hospital or medical center, . If there is a lengthy gap between the date that the shower seat broke and your visit to the doctor, it can be a bad sign for your case. The insurance agent or company representative can claim that you were hurt elsewhere, as nobody would take such a long time to go to the doctor to be treated.
- Collect your receipt or proof of purchase: You should have your receipt handy or the statement from your bank or credit card company to show that you legally purchased the item and you were the owner.
- Contact a product liability attorney: You may very likely have next to no experience handling a product liability lawsuit, or even any legal claim at all. An attorney can ensure that your claim is handled with the utmost care and that your evidence is adequately gathered and presented to the insurance company.
If you have questions about what to do after you experience an injury from a defective product, feel free to contact our law offices.
Legal Information about Product Liability
It is important to understand how product liability claims work. You can file a product liability lawsuit if there was a design defect with the product that caused all subsequent items to be defective or not work in some way; a manufacturing defect with the product that may have caused a certain amount of the items to be missing parts or created wrongly; or a failure to warn of any potential hazards, whether or on the label or on the item itself.
You can thus file a claim against Signature Hardware because the shower seats were manufactured poorly.
We will ensure that your lawsuit is filed in the correct amount of time. You only have 2 years from the date of the injury to take legal action or you will be prevented from pursuing any in the future.
Further, we will strive to bring you the compensation you deserve, including coverage for medical bills, lost wages, damaged property, pain and suffering, and more.
Call Normandie Law Firm today to get started on your lawsuit.
