U.S. Recall News reports that the company that manufactures the SunSetter motorized patio awnings issued an immediate recall because of a faulty motor that could allow the awning to spring open an injure the user. Specifically, the company has recalled the awning covers, according to a press release from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. To date, one person has died from an injury sustained when attempting to use the SwingSetter. Preliminarily, it appears that the motor for the automatic awning switched on while the awning was still leashed with a bungee cord tie-down. The awning could hit someone in the way after the user removes the cover because the awning will spring out unexpectedly.
The SunSetter cover recalled is for a wall-mounted unit that operates with a motor. Consistent with the Consumer Product Safety Commission announcement, the company has recalled 270,000 units that were sold domestically in the U.S. and another 11,000 sold in Canada. All of the recalled units were sold between June of 1999 and January of 2019. The recall applies to the motorized awnings only. The SunSetter awnings that open manually are not included in this recall.
At this time, the Consumer Product Safety Commission is aware of 14 incidents in which the motorized awning sprung loose. Six people suffered varying degrees of injury from being hit by the device, and one person died. The person who perished was a 73-year-old man who fell off of a ladder and then over a balcony railing when the awning sprung open while he was trying to remove the tie-downs.
All motorized SunSetter owners are advised to contact the company regarding the recall. The company will distribute breakaway safety clips to replace the bungee tie-downs. For its effort, SunSetter is contacting owners of the motorized devices to inform them about the recall and the appropriate steps to take to repair the awning.
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed due to a defective motorized awning, call the Law Offices of Jason Turchin at 1-800-510-0750 for your free consultation with an experienced product liability lawsuit lawyer . That’s (888) 998-4284. We are available 24/7 to discuss your case.
