Injuries From Recalled Products Hit 8-Year High: Legal Options For Consumers

In 2024, injuries from recalled consumer products surged to their highest level in eight years, according to a troubling new report from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) Education Fund. The analysis, titled “Safe At Home in 2025?”, sheds light on a growing threat many Americans don’t see coming: dangerous and defective products already inside their homes.

The report found that:

• 869 injuries and 15 deaths were linked to recalled products in 2024 — a steep increase from 549 injuries the year before.
• A total of 305 recall announcements affected more than 83 million products, including everything from toys and tools to beds and appliances.
• At least 568 fires or explosions (“thermal events”) were tied to these products, many involving lithium-ion batteries.
• Eight specific products were directly linked to fatalities, including infant swings, adult bed rails, spa pumps, bookcases, and rechargeable lights.

This spike in injuries is not just a statistic — it’s a reminder that defective products can be lethal when warnings come too late or are ignored altogether.

How Recalled Products Slip Through the Cracks

In a perfect world, unsafe products would be removed from shelves before anyone gets hurt. In reality, recalls often take months or years — and some never happen at all.

Here are just a few reasons why:

• Companies delay or resist recalls, even after serious injuries or deaths.
• The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) lacks the power to unilaterally enforce recalls without a lengthy legal battle.
• Online retailers and third-party sellers are not always cooperative in removing or flagging dangerous items.
• Consumers often don’t hear about recalls unless they actively check the CPSC website or sign up for alerts.

Even after a product is recalled, many dangerous items remain in homes, especially when refunds are hard to obtain, replacements aren’t offered, or the return process is overly complicated.

Recalled Products That Caused Deaths in 2024

Among the most heartbreaking findings were 15 fatalities linked to recalled products. A few examples include:

• Infant swings connected to five infant deaths prior to their 2024 recall.
• Adult bed rails, which caused multiple entrapment deaths in seniors.
• A spa pump linked to a deadly house fire in Kansas City.
• A bookcase that tipped and killed a 4-year-old child.
• A rechargeable light suspected in a fatal house fire in 2023.

These incidents were not isolated. They reflect systemic issues in product testing, corporate accountability, and consumer notification.

The Hidden Risk: When Recalls Don’t Reach the Public

Many families continue to use hazardous products without ever realizing they’ve been recalled. Why? Because there’s no standardized, direct system for recall notifications.

Consumers currently learn about recalls in only three primary ways:

1. From manufacturers or retailers — if they have the buyer’s contact info.
2. From media coverage of large-scale or high-profile recalls.
3. From the CPSC website or email alerts, which consumers must opt into.

Too often, none of these methods are enough. The result? Injuries and deaths continue to occur long after recalls are announced.

Children’s Products and Safety Standards

While all consumer products are subject to some degree of oversight, children’s products are held to higher standards — and for good reason.

Toys, clothing, and gear intended for children under 12 must comply with regulations concerning:

• Lead and chemical exposure
• Choking hazards
• Small parts and sharp edges
• Warning labels and packaging standards

Even with these rules in place, 2024 saw numerous child-focused recalls, including toys, infant swings, and travel mugs that posed burn or laceration risks. In one shocking case, a biometric gun safe designed to keep firearms away from children was opened by a 6-year-old boy, despite not being registered to his fingerprint.

Legal Options When Injuries or Deaths Occur Due to a Recalled Product

Injuries from defective or recalled products can range from minor burns or lacerations to life-altering trauma or death. If you or a loved one has suffered harm, it’s natural to feel overwhelmed, angry, or unsure of what to do next.

In these situations, victims and families may be able to pursue a product liability claim against:

• The manufacturer who designed or produced the defective product
• A retailer who sold the product after it became known to be unsafe
• A distributor or importer who failed to act when notified of a risk

Product liability law is complex and varies based on how and when the injury occurred. In some cases, wrongful death claims may also be appropriate when a recalled product causes a fatality.

Understanding Product Liability Laws in Florida

In Florida, product liability claims fall under strict liability, negligence, or breach of warranty legal theories. This means manufacturers, distributors, and sellers can be held legally responsible if a defective product causes injury or death—even if the company didn’t intend to cause harm.

There are three primary types of product defects that can form the basis of a claim:

1. Design defects – The product is inherently dangerous due to its design, even if manufactured correctly.
2. Manufacturing defects – The product’s design is safe, but something went wrong during production, making the specific item hazardous.
3. Marketing defects – The product lacked proper warnings, instructions, or labeling to inform consumers about risks.

The 2024 PIRG report included multiple examples of each type, from lithium-ion batteries that exploded due to manufacturing flaws, to infant swings that lacked adequate warnings about strangulation or suffocation risks. If you’ve been injured by a recalled or defective product, determining which type of defect occurred is the first step toward legal accountability.

How to Report an Unsafe or Recalled Product

If you’ve experienced a dangerous incident involving a consumer product—whether it’s been recalled or not—you can take steps to help prevent others from getting hurt:

1. Report the incident to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) using this link. This public database allows you to describe the product, the injury or issue it caused, and where it was purchased.
2. Preserve the product if it’s safe to do so. If the product caused a fire or physical injury, photos of the damage or defect can be valuable.
3. Leave reviews or complaints on the seller’s platform, especially if the product was bought online. Warning other consumers can make a difference.

You don’t have to wait for a recall to take action. Many product liability claims are filed before the product is formally recalled, often serving as a key factor in getting unsafe products off the market.

What to Do If You Are Injured by a Defective Product

If you or a loved one experienced an injury, fire, or other serious incident and later discovered the product had been recalled, you may be wondering what your options are. While every case is different, here are a few general steps to take:

• Seek medical attention immediately, and make sure your treatment is documented.
• Take photos or video of the product, your injuries, and any property damage.
• Check for recalls on the CPSC website or through a quick online search using the brand and model number.
• Keep the original receipt, packaging, and product if possible. This can help establish proof of purchase and product origin.
• Avoid sending the product back to the company right away—especially if they offer a refund or replacement—until you’ve spoken to a professional. Returning it may result in the loss of key evidence for a potential claim.

The increase in injuries linked to recalled products in 2024 is a wake-up call for all consumers. It also highlights the importance of understanding your rights when preventable harm occurs inside your own home.

Free Consultation With a Florida Product Liability Attorney

We extend our sincere condolences to the families who lost loved ones due to dangerous or defective products. These tragedies are often avoidable—and they highlight the need for stronger safety standards, corporate accountability, and faster action when products are found to be hazardous.

If you or someone you love has been seriously injured by a defective product, you don’t have to face it alone. At Flanagan & Bodenheimer, we offer free consultations to help families understand their legal options. We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you won’t owe us anything unless we win compensation for you. Call us at 305-638-4143 or complete our online form for a free case evaluation.