Werner Recalled Ladders

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is recalling nearly 80,000 Werner ladders because of the severe fall risk they create for consumers. Due to a product defect, the ladders are prone to breaking when supporting weight. Ladders already pose numerous dangers for users, so it is critical that consumers identify the recalled models and immediately discontinue use.

Recalled Werner Ladder Models

The CPSC’s recall includes five different models, each of which they classify as an aluminum-telescoping ladder. The recalled model numbers are the following:

• MT-IAA-13A;
• MT-IAA-17A;
• MT-IAA-22A;
• MT-IAA-26, and:
• MT-IAA-26A

So far, a defective Werner ladder has injured one consumer. The reported injury was to the consumer’s left side and elbow. In order to prevent any more injuries from occurring, the CPSC has initiated a fast track recall process. Fast track recalls help to get particularly dangerous products off the shelves and out of consumers’ hands as quickly as possible.

The CPSC reports that consumers can use the recalled ladders in five different positions:  as a stairway stepladder, twin stepladder, as two different scaffold bases, an extension ladder, and a wall ladder. Each model is supposed to hold up to 375lbs.

Hazards Related to Ladders

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), falls are one of the leading causes of unintentional deaths across the nation. Additionally, falls from ladders accounted for almost half of all falls within the last 10 years, and at least one-fifth of workers injured in falls were using a ladder at the time of the incident.

Because using a ladder increases a person’s chances for sustaining fatal and non-fatal injuries, it is especially important to ensure that they are manufactured safely and up to federal standards. Some ladder safety and manufacturing standards, as reported by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration – or OSHA – include:

• Self-supporting ladders must be able to support – at the very least – four times their maximum intended loads (the guidelines for metal and plastic-based ladders are slightly different);
• Ladder rungs, cleats, and steps have to be level, evenly spaced and parallel when the ladder is in use or positioned for it;
• There must be ladder safety devices present, and:
• Ladders must be manufactured and set up in such a way as to limit preventable injuries and recognizable hazards

Manufacturer Safety Responsibilities

Manufacturers are legally responsible for creating reasonably safe products for consumers to use. When a consumer is injured or killed because a product was not properly made, because it lacked adequate safety instructions and warnings or it was designed in a faulty manner, the manufacturer may be liable for damages. If you have questions or concerns about injuries resulting from a negligent manufacturer, please contact a representative at our firm who may be able to help.

Philadelphia Products Liability Lawyers at Galfand Berger, LLP Represent Individuals Injured by Dangerous Products

If you sustained injuries because of a defective or dangerous product, please contact the Philadelphia products liability lawyers at Galfand Berger. With offices located in Philadelphia, Bethlehem, Lancaster, and Reading, we serve clients throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. To schedule a consultation, call us at 800-222-8792 or complete our online contact form.