Plastic Lawn Chairs
CPSC Recall #96-178 — July 31, 1996
Recall Summary
| Recall Number | 96-178 |
| Recall Date | July 31, 1996 |
| Remedy Type | Refund, Replace |
| Units Affected | 900,000 |
Where It Was Sold
| Grocery and home supply stores |
| including Winn Dixie |
| Cub Foods |
| and Scotty's |
| sold the lawn chairs nationwide from January 1992 through September 1995 for about $6. |
Product
Plastic Lawn Chairs
Description
WASHINGTON, D.C. - CPSC, Southern Sales and Marketing Group of Atlanta, Ga., is voluntarily recalling 900,000 plastic lawn chairs. The chair's rear legs lack rubber feet and may spread or break, causing the chair to collapse. Southern Sales and Marketing Group is aware of 39 incidents involving these chairs, resulting in several injuries, ranging from minor bruises to back injuries. The "Perla," "Althea," and "Malibu" styles of whiteplastic lawn chairs measure 22 inches deep, 22 inches wide, and 32 inches high. Each chair bears a sticker label on the front of the seat which lists the chair style as well as the manufacturer's name and address. Grocery and home supply stores, including Winn Dixie, Cub Foods, and Scotty's, sold the lawn chairs nationwide from January 1992 through September 1995 for about $6. The 1996 styles of the chairs, which have rubber feet on the rear legs, are not being recalled. Consumers should stop using the lawn chairs and return them to the store where purchased for a full refund or replacement. For more information about this recall, consumers should contact Southern Sales and Marketing Group at (800) 729-5033.
Hazard
The chair's rear legs lack rubber feet and may spread or break, causing the chair to collapse.
Incidents & Injuries
Southern Sales and Marketing Group is aware of 39 incidents involving these chairs, resulting in several injuries, ranging from minor bruises to back injuries.
Remedy Instructions
Consumers should stop using the lawn chairs and return them to the store where purchased for a full refund or replacement.
What Should You Do?
Stop using this product immediately. Contact the manufacturer for a Refund, Replace at no charge. If you experienced an injury, report it at SaferProducts.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Follow the consumer action instructions in the recall notice above. Most recalls require you to stop using the product and contact the manufacturer directly — either by calling the toll-free number listed in the official CPSC notice or by visiting the manufacturer's website. You generally do not need a receipt or original packaging to claim a remedy. The manufacturer is legally required to provide the remedy (Refund, Replace) at no cost to you.
Yes. If you were injured by a defective consumer product — whether recalled or not — you may have grounds for a product liability claim against the manufacturer and potentially the retailer. A recall notice can serve as evidence that the manufacturer was aware of the defect. Injuries that may support a claim include burns, lacerations, fractures, electric shock, choking incidents, and chemical exposure. Most product liability attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless you win. Consult an attorney promptly, as statutes of limitation vary by state.
In most cases, no. CPSC-coordinated recall remedies are designed to be accessible without proof of purchase. Manufacturers typically ask consumers to self-certify ownership and may ask for photos of the product or its serial number. Some manufacturers request that you mail in a portion of the product (such as a cut cord or removed component) as proof of disposal. Check the specific remedy instructions for this recall for exact requirements. If you registered your product at the time of purchase, the process is usually even simpler.
If the original manufacturer has gone out of business, the recall remedy may no longer be available through them. In this case, contact CPSC directly at 1-800-638-2772 or cpsc.gov for guidance. If the brand was acquired by another company, the acquiring company may have assumed recall obligations. In some cases where a remedy is unavailable, CPSC advises consumers to safely dispose of the product. If you were injured by the product of a defunct company, consult a product liability attorney — parent companies, distributors, and retailers may still bear liability in some circumstances.