Defective Smoke Detectors Recalled
The recent recall of the Kidde Model PI2000 Dual Sensor Smoke Alarms reminds consumers in East Tennessee just how unsafe smoke detectors can be. In fact, a 2007 NewsChannel5 investigation revealed that ionization smoke detector alarms may not alarm residents in enough time to safely escape from smoky, smoldering fires. Ionization smoke detectors are the cheapest, mostly widely used detectors in the United States.
In the Kidde smoke alarm case, a batch of smoke detectors were found to be defective after it was discovered that the electrostatic discharge, when triggered, could actually damage the unit and cause the alarm not to sound.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), approximately 4,000 people die in household fires every year. That makes household fires the third leading cause of unintentional death in the home, behind falls and poisoning.
Typically, smoke from fires cause death, not the fire itself. For this reason, a properly functioning smoke detector is critical in ensuring the safety of you and your family, which is why being aware of notifications of defective products in Tennessee is so important.
Moreover, ionization smoke detectors continue to be manufactured and sold by such companies as Kidde despite the fact that most home fires are slow burning smoldering fires. According to a report by the US National Bureau of Standards, ionization smoke detectors are less likely to detect slow burning fires. Photoelectric and dual sensor smoke detectors are offered as alternatives.
Numerous cases are pending across the country associated with the deaths and injuries caused by defective smoke detectors. If you or a loved one has been injured in a fire and did not hear the smoke detector go off, the manufacturer of the device may be liable to you for damages. Contact the experienced Sevierville product liability attorneys at Baker Associates by dialing 866-853-2888 for more information.
