On December 10, 2014, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with GCI Outdoor, has announced the recall to repair their BleacherBack stadium seats. It’s reported that the backrest can fail, posing a risk of injury. GCI Outdoor has received a report of one incident where backrest support failed and the consumer fell to the ground from the top of a 4-foot tall bleacher and suffered neck and back injuries. An estimated 6,000 seats were purchased at Academy Sports + Outdoors, Big 5 Sporting Goods, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Sports Authority and other sporting goods retailers nationwide and online at GCIoutdoor.com and other online retailers from January 2013 to August 2014 for about $25.
This recall involves GCI Outdoor BleacherBack stadium seats. The seats are made of a powder-coated steel frame, a stitched fabric backrest and a fabric-covered padded bottom. The backrest has a mesh pocket on the back side. The seat bottom has a strap that runs from one side through two D rings on the upper part of the backrest and back down to the other side. The strap has a yellow buckle. The backrest and seat bottoms were sold in the colors black, green, maroon, navy blue, red and royal blue. When open, the seats measure 16 inches wide x 12 inches deep x 17.5 inches high. The backrest folds forward to a height of 4 inches.
Recalled stadium seats have the following purchase order (PO) numbers:
| 41223, | 41269, | 41273, | ||||||||
| 41332, | 41348, | 41367, | 41371, | 41371, | 41379, | 41380, | 41390 | |||
| 41401 | ||||||||||
| 41515, | 41520, | 41537, | 41538, | 41539, | 41540, | 41541, | 41542 | |||
| 41627, | 41628, | 41629, | 41630, | 41631, | 41632, | 41633, | 41634, | 41635, | 41636, | 41639 |
| 41640, | 41641, | 41642, | 41643, | 41644, | 41645, | 41646, | 41647, | 41648, | 41649, | 41668 |
| 41715, | 41716, | 41717, | 41718, |
Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled stadium chairs and contact GCI Outdoor for a free strap repair kit that includes installation instructions, an additional safety strap and a new warning sticker. For more information please contact GCI Outdoor at (800) 956-7328 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET on Fridays or online at www.gcioutdoor.com and click on Safety Notice at the bottom of the page.
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. We are Your Voice. Your Advocate.