June 25, 2012 — Flushmate is recalling 2.3 million Sloan Flushmate III Pressure-Assist Flushing Systems due to the risk of explosion. The product uses air and water pressure to create a powerful suction flush, but in some cases, the explosion of pressure can lift the tank lid and shatter the tank. The Consumer Products Safety Commission is aware of at least 304 units that have burst, causing significant property damage. Furthermore, at least 14 people have suffered “impact and laceration” injuries. The CPSC did not give details into the severity of the injuries.
According to the CPSC, the problem with the device is that the vessel weld seam is not strong enough to withstand stored air/water pressure. The sudden released pressure can shatter the toilet.
The CPSC announced that they are recalling the Flushmate III. The product is made of black plastic and it is installed inside the toilet tank. The recalled units have a “series number” of 503. The product also has a 16-digit “serial number,” and the first six digits are the product’s manufacturing date. The defective toilets were manufactured between October 14, 1997 (101497) and February 29, 2008 (022908).
The CPSC is advising all people who own the Flushmate III to stop using the product, shut off the water supply, and disable it from the toilet or repair it. Flushmate is offering a free repair kit to their customers at their website, recall.flushmate.com. Customers can also get a free repair kit by calling a toll-free hotline, (800) 303-5123.
The Flushmate III was sold in hardware stores such as Home Depot and Lowe’s nationwide for about $108. Other toilet manufacturers also sold the devices, including American Standard, Crane, Eljer, Gerber, Mansfield, Kohler, and St. Thomas.
If you were injured by the Sloan Flushmate III toilet, you could have a products liability lawsuit against the manufacturer of this product, alleging that the product was manufactured with a defective design that caused your injuries.
Do I have a Flushmate Toilet Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Flushmate toilet induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by a defective Flushmate toilet, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Product Liability Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
Attention Lawyers: We consider a referral from another law firm to be one of the greatest compliments. If your firm is interested in referring us a case or for us to send you a list of previous award judgments and/or average referral fees, please visit the Lawyer Referral section of our website.
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC has been recognized as one of the nation’s leading plaintiffs' law firms and handles cases in all 50 states. We are very proud of our legal achievements, but equally self-respecting of our firm's reputation for providing personal attention to each and every client we represent.
