Defective chairs resulting in amputations prompt recall

During the holiday season card tables are often pulled out to expand dining room tables for meals or used to play games. Because these tables and chairs are easy to store and reasonably priced, they are found in households throughout the nation including those in the Pittsburgh area.

Recently a card table and chair set sold by Wal-Mart was recalled. Unlike many recalls which are due to the potential that an injury could be inflicted, there are serious injuries behind this one. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, at least 10 incidents involving the table and chair set that resulted in injuries have occurred. In addition to a sore back and fractured or sprained fingers, three fingertips have been amputated. In another instance one individual’s entire finger was amputated.

The amputations are the result of chairs malfunctioning. The defective chairs may collapse unexpectedly, leading to injuries.

The card table sets are sold under the name Mainstays. In total, 73,400 sets are included in the recall. They were available to purchase from the retailer, both online and in the stores, for a seven month period beginning in May of last year.

In addition to being painful, the amputation of even a portion of a finger could have an impact on the quality of someone’s life for as long as they live. Fortunately it is possible for individuals injured by a product they thought was safe, to file a products liability lawsuit against various entities including the seller, manufacturer and designer of the defective product.

Source:Philly.com, “Walmart recalls card table and chair sets after reports of finger amputations,” Associated Press, Jan. 4, 2014