May 20, 2014 — The Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) has announced a recall for 113,000 bed handles after they were linked to three deaths.
The recall comes almost exactly three years after the consumer-advocacy group Public Citizen called for a ban on these bed handles, citing four deaths.
Bed handles are designed to help adults get in and out of bed. Newer models come with a safety strap to prevent the bed handle from shifting out of place. The manufacturer, Bed Handles Inc., is recalling products that were sold from 1994-2007 without safety straps. According to the recall:
“When attached to an adult’s bed without the use of safety retention straps, the handle can shift out of place creating a dangerous gap between the bed handle and the side of the mattress. This poses a serious risk of entrapment, strangulation and death.”
The victims died when they became trapped between the bed handle and the mattress. The deaths included an 81 year-old woman in a managed care facility in Washington, a 41 year-old disabled woman in Washington, and an elderly woman in an assisted-living facility in Minnesota.
The L-shaped bed handles are made of 3/4-inch tubular steel that measures 20-inches wide, 16-20 inches tall, with 3-foot poles that extend under the bed. They were widely sold in home healthcare stores, drug stores, and medical equipment stores nationwide.
Product models included in the recall:
- Original Bedside Assistant® (BA10W)
- Travel Handles™ (BA11W)
- Adjustable Bedside Assistant® (AJ1)
Do I have a Bed Handle Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting bed handle induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by a defective bed handle without safety straps, 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.
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