Johnson Health Tech North America Recalls Matrix T1 and T3 Treadmill
Wrongful Death - June 12, 2024
Johnson Health Tech North America Recalled Matrix T1 and T3 Commercial Treadmills Over Fire Hazard
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS (June 12, 2024) – Johnson Health Tech North America has recalled the Matrix T1 and T3 Series commercial treadmills due to a fire hazard involving the power cord.
The recall was issued on April, 11, 2024. Affected units have the following identifications.
- Model Name: T1xe <—> Model Number: TM522 <—> Serial Number: TM5221803xxxxx
- Model Name: T3x <—> Model Number: TM523 <—> Serial Number: TM5231906xxxxx
- Model Name: T3xm <—> Model Number: TM725 <—> Serial Number: TM7251902xxxxx
The issue with these treadmills is that the power cord can become loose from the treadmill’s power socket. This can create a fire hazard.
Matrix Fitness received one report on a fire at a fitness facility since a previous recall in 2022. There were 58 other reports of fires associated with the previous recall.
The recalled treadmills were previously sold at Johnson Health Tech North America and Johnson Fitness & Wellness stores across the United States.
Liability For Fires Involving Consumer Goods
Fires involving consumer goods are actually extremely common. According to Consumer Reports, “we found at least 15,700 fires clearly linked to problems with a product, much greater than the instances involved in recalls. The number could be closer to 35,000 if you consider cases in which there were either no contributing causes or they were undetermined.” There are a number of steps that companies should take in order to prevent fires involving their products.
- Safety Standards: Companies should design products that meet or exceed relevant safety standards and regulations.
- Material Selection: Companies can use fire-resistant materials when possible.
- Pre-Market Testing: Companies should conduct extensive tests that take into consideration all of the ways that a product will be used and misused.
When a product is defective and causes injury to the consumer or a third party, the company that made the product could be held at fault through a product liability claim. Product liability is typically considered a strict liability offense. In that regard, a defendant is typically liable for an injury if the plaintiff proves that the product was defective, regardless of what the defendant’s intent was. It is irrelevant whether or not the manufacturer or supplier exercised great care to avoid injury. It is important that certain steps be taken after any instance where a fire is started by a piece of exercise equipment.
- The equipment involved should be thoroughly analyzed.
- Surveillance footage should be sought.
- Medical records related to the incident should be preserved.
- An experienced products liability attorney should be contacted.
It can be difficult to know where to begin after any fire caused by a consumer product. Victims may lose all of their earthly possessions and be left with very serious injuries. Sadly, many of these incidents involve fatalities. To add insult to injury, companies that manufacture products that result in fires will do everything in their power to deny liability. This is one of the many reasons it is important to seek the guidance of an experienced attorney after any fire.
Getting Legal Help After Fires Caused By The Matrix T1 and T3 Series Commercial Treadmills
We at Horwitz Horwitz & Associates were deeply concerned to hear about the dozens of fires related to the Matrix T1 and T3 Series commercial treadmills. More needs to be done to ensure that fire-prone gym equipment does not make it to the market in the first place. If the affected treadmills remain in circulation, they are an accident waiting to happen.
Have you or someone that you care about been injured in a fire caused by the Matrix T1 and T3 Series commercial treadmills? We are committed to getting accident victims the medical and financial support that they need in order to recover. Whether you just have legal questions or are thinking about hiring an attorney, we are here for you. You can reach out to our law firm anytime at (312) 564-4256.