Homeowners in Albany who have a home improvement task and plan to use a pressure washer this weekend may be working with a potentially unsafe product.
Recently, approximately 40,000 Homelite Surface Cleaner attachments needed to be recalled after a potentially dangerous defect in the product has been found. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has warned users to stop using the products and to contact the company to receive a replacement attachment.
Nine accident reports have been filed with the Consumer Product Safety Commission concerning the product. Among these were a report of a laceration injury and two instances of property damage.
The potential hazard lies in the product’s attachment nozzle and spray bar. Both can break and detach from the unit, possibly striking and breaking the plastic housing on the machine. The broken nozzle, spray bar or plastic housing could break free and strike consumers.
Homelite is placing the recall on the attachments for the pressure washers that contain a hexagonal brass nozzle and come in either orange or red. The attachments were sold with pressure washer models HL80833 and HL80835. In addition, the recalled products were sold separately as Powercare model AP31022A and EZ Clean model AEZ231022.
The Homelite Surface Cleaner and its attachments were sold nationwide at Home Depot. The recalled item was sold from February 2010 through June 2011 and was manufactured in China.
When you buy a product, you have the right to expect that the product will be safe and free from harmful defects. Whether it is a car, a prescription drug, a toy, a pressure washer or any other consumer good, if a product causes a personal injury because of a defect, the injured person has the legal right to seek compensation.
Source: CPSC.gov, “Homelite Recalls Pressure Washer Surface Cleaner Attachments Due to Laceration Hazard; Sold Exclusively at Home Depot,” 21 July 2011
