Government Sues Company for Delayed Reporting of Defective Product
Consumers reportedly filed about 1,600 reports telling the company that its Black & Decker Spacemaker 12-Cup Programmable Under-the-Cabinet Coffeemakers' handles were detaching, causing burns and lacerations, according to the complaint. The first incident allegedly occurred in February 2009 when a woman reported her husband was pouring coffee as the handle broke, causing coffee to spill and burn his hand. The following month, the company performed a returned product analysis report that concluded "the material thickness of this catch, the strength of the boss and the plastic material brittleness may be contributing factors in this failure," but the company did not report the information to the CPSC until April 2012.
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Amanda L. Cole is the editor-in-chief of NonProfit PRO. She was formerly editor-in-chief of special projects for NonProfit PRO's sister publication, Promo Marketing. Contact her at acole@napco.com.