California Injury Blog
October 23, 2012–St. Louis, Missouri–Energizer Holdings, Inc., of St. Louis, the manufacturer of Banana Boat, is recalling a line of spray-on sunscreen after five people have caught fire while using the product, according to the Patch.
The United States Food and Drug Administration announced the recall. The manufacturer states that the problem is in the spray valve of the bottle which is overapplying the product to the skin. Since the product does not dry as intended, it can easily catch fire when coming into contact with open flames. The label does warn users not to use near sources of ignition, but the five burn accidents apparently occurred some time after the sunscreen was applied.
The company has recalled 23 types of its sunscreen; consumers with questions about certain brands can call 1-800-SAFESUN for more information.
My sincere wishes for a speedy recovery go out to anyone who has been injured by this product.
Product Injuries are Common Problems
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, defective products cost about $700 billion per year in the United States. This figure comes from medical bills, legal settlements, and other costs associated with product defects, and is only an estimate as some settlements and costs are not reported.
Clearly, defective products are an expensive problem in our society. At least 200,000 people are injured by defective products each year. This number is probably also low, because many people who suffer injuries from product defects never report the fact to the manufacturer or anyone else.
Will The People Injured By This Product Be Compensated?
It is difficult to know at this point exactly what the manufacturer plans to do to settle the claims of those who have been injured by its product. In the past, manufacturers have uniformly denied claims against their products, fearing that if they admitted any wrongdoing, the lawsuits would flood them and put them out of business.
On the other hand, manufacturers are usually quick to attempt to settle with victims for a low cost so that the victims will lose their right to sue.
What Should I Do If I Am Injured by a Defective Product?
If you have been injured in any way by a product that you purchased, you may have a claim against the manufacturer and the retailer. Talk to a product defect attorney immediately.