On February 25, 2015, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Cosco Home & Office Products, of Columbus, Ind., announced the recall of their Convertible Hand Trucks Due to Injury Hazard. The wheel hub can separate or break and eject pieces during inflation, posing a risk of injury to the consumer and bystanders. Cosco has received 10 reports of wheel hubs separating or breaking and ejecting pieces including four reports of bruises and lacerations.
About 273,000 were sold at Ace Hardware, Costco Wholesale Club, Lowe’s, Price Mart, and United Stationers and online at The Home Depot.com from March 2009 to October 2011 for between $100 and $150.
This recall involves Cosco Home & Office Products 3-in-1 convertible aluminum hand trucks. The handles can be moved to allow the hand truck to be used in a vertical or horizontal position. Recalled hand trucks have model numbers
- 12-301 ABL and
- 12-301 ABL1
and were manufactured from January 2009 to October 2011. The model number and manufacture date are on the Cosco label on the rear side of the bottom cross member.
Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled hand trucks and contact Cosco for a free repair kit. For more information please contact Cosco Home & Office Products toll-free at (888) 250-9299 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, email handtruck@coscoproducts.com or online at their website and click on Safety Notice at the top of the page for more information.
As a consumer, safety advocate, and trial lawyer, I am continually troubled by the fact that manufacturers and retailers continue to sell dangerous products. Manufacturers, in their zeal to get products on the market, often cut corners and overlook safety when designing and manufacturing products. Manufacturers have an obligation and opportunity to thoroughly assess product safety before the launch of a product. It should not take a person to get injured for a manufacturer to make a product safe.
The Quinn Law Group, LLC, is a preeminent personal injury law firm with offices conveniently located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Cherry Hill, New Jersey. If you or a loved one has been injured by a dangerous product or through the fault of another, please contact Sean E. Quinn for a free, no-obligation consultation at (215) 360-3666. We are Your Voice. Your Advocate.