Samurai Mini Smoke Alarms Recalled Over Malfunction Risk

Three61 Issues Recall for Samurai Mini Smoke Alarms Because They May Fail to Alert in the Event of a Fire

Samurai Mini Smoke Alarms Recalled Over Malfunction Risk

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS (January 19, 2025) – Samurai Mini Smoke Alarms have been recalled because they can fail to alert consumers to a fire.

The recall was announced on January 16, 2025. Around 328,000 units were sold prior to the recall. The devices were sold exclusively by HSN.

According to the recall notice by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the smoke alarms can malfunction and fail to alert consumers in the event that there is a fire.

The CPSC performed smoke sensitivity tests. They determined that the Samurai Mini Smoke Alarms failed to alert when exposed to predetermined concentrations of smoke.

Three61 has received eight reports of incidents where the devices failed to alert in the event of smoke.

Liability for Injuries Caused by Faulty Smoke Detectors

Residential fires remain one of the leading causes of preventable injury and death in the United States. According to the US Fire Administration, “From 2013 to 2022, the 10-year trend in the fire death rate per million population increased 22%. In 2022, the fire death rate in the U.S. was 13.3 deaths per million population — 2% higher than it was in 2021 when the fire death rate was 13.0 deaths per million population.” This is why it is so crucial that commercial and residential buildings have functional smoke detectors. There are a number of potential reasons why a smoke detector might fail to operate correctly.

  • Smoke detectors may allow for dirt, dust, or debris to accumulate over time.
  • Smoke detectors could be contaminated with substances like grease, paint, or aerosol sprays.
  • Smoke detectors may have faulty electrical components.
  • Smoke detectors may not have been calibrated correctly during the manufacturing process.

People rely on smoke detectors to save their lives in the event that a fire does break out. The companies that make these products have a legal obligation to ensure that they are reasonably safe. To that end, they must comply with all safety regulations set forth by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. This requires companies to routinely test all of their products in the real-world situations that they will likely be used in. If a smoke detector has a design flaw that prevents it from warning of a fire early on when smoke contaminants are in the air, this could form the basis of a constitutional claim. It is important that certain steps are taken if consumers suspect that their smoke detectors may have malfunctioned.

  • It should be determined if the smoke detector involved was part of any recall.
  • The smoke detector itself should be preserved for future examinations.
  • Medical records related to any incident should be collected.
  • An experienced product liability attorney should be contacted.

When a smoke detector fails to identify smoke contaminants, this can be incredibly dangerous. Most of the people who die from fires and fire-related injuries don’t die from actual exposure to the fire. They die as a result of prolonged smoke inhalation. It is critical that smoke detectors warn users as early as possible, when even the faintest amounts of smoke are in the air. This early warning can mean life or death in an actual fire. Any person who is injured by a faulty smoke detector can seek some measure of justice through a product liability claim.

Getting Legal Help for Injuries Caused by Faulty Smoke Detectors

We at Horwitz Horwitz & Associates were very concerned to hear about the safety issues with Samurai Mini Smoke Alarms. It is our sincere hope that steps are taken to prevent similarly unsafe products from reaching the market. Retailers like Amazon, HSN, and Walmart should be doing everything in their power to prevent potentially dangerous products from being sold. But far too often this is not the case.

Have you or someone that you care about been affected by a malfunctioning Samurai Mini Smoke Alarm? You may have legal recourse. Our team of product liability attorneys is here to answer any questions that you may have. 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 need any type of assistance, we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (312) 564-4256.