Tree Stands and products liability
As we approach the beginning of the 2020 firearm deer hunting season, we are reminded of how much hunters rely on their equipment. Hunters place their trust in equipment manufacturers to create products that will keep them safe and that trust is violated when a product is defective.
Defectively designed and manufactured tree stands place hunters at risk of severe injuries from falls and other accidents. Falls can lead to broken bones, spinal injuries, traumatic brain injuries, permanent injuries, and even death. If a tree stand manufacturer is aware of any defect, they are required to warn consumers and issue prompt safety recalls.
Bringing a products liability lawsuit holds the manufacturers accountable for hunting accidents and injuries relating to the defective equipment they designed and produced.
Tree Stand Accidents
Hunters are more likely to be injured in a fall from a tree stand than from an accidental gunshot. Hunters who fall from a tree stand 15 or fewer feet off the ground usually survive; however, hunters who fall from 24 feet or more off of the ground are more likely to suffer fatal injuries.
Data shows that a person who uses a tree stand for hunting has approximately a 5% chance of being injured while falling from a tree stand at some point in their hunting careers. The fact that these accidents usually occur in remote locations can take hours to transport victims to medical care can complicate the injuries.
What Happened?
The Lakeville outdoors hunting and recreation gear company, Alliance Outdoor Product Inc., is recalling thousands of tree stands after two users fell and suffered broken bones due to cable failures just days before firearms deer hunting season begins in Minnesota on Sunday, November 8, 2020 at sunrise.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced the recalls of approximately 3,400 X-Stand Tree Stands with the following model names: Silent Adrenaline and Apache.
The CPSC announced that the cable assemblies have come apart “due to corrosion, posing a fall hazard for the user” and there have been five reports of tree stand cables separating, with two people breaking bones. This is very concerning news given that Minnesota’s Department of Natural Resources estimates nearly 500,000 hunters will participate in hunting season and tree stands are popular hunting gear.
The 2017 model year tree stands were made in China and sold between May 2017 and December 2018 at retail outlets nationwide in addition to online shopping sources www.sportsmansguide.com and www.x-stand.com.
Read below for additional recall information:
The Silent Adrenaline model is XSCT334 with the following batch numbers being recalled:
- 5X-1017
- 5X-1517
The UPC code for the Silent Adrenaline stand is:
- 816153011219
The Apache model is XSCT355 and the following batch number has been recalled:
- 5X-5317
The UPC code for the Apache stand is:
- 816153011677
How Goldenberg Lauricella Can Help
If you or a loved one has been injured by a defective tree stand, contact the Minnesota products liability Attorneys at Goldenberg Lauricella. We have over thirty years of experience providing the Gold standard of advocacy. Leave the sleepless nights to us by contacting Goldenberg Lauricella today!