Five-foot household aluminum stepladders
CPSC Recall #78-059 - July 6, 1978
Recall Summary
| Recall Number | 78-059 |
| Recall Date | July 6, 1978 |
| Remedy Type | Refund, Replace |
| Units Affected | Approximately 7,500 |
Where It Was Sold
| They were sold in Sears retail stores in Alabama |
| Arkansas |
| Colorado |
| Florida |
| Georgia |
| Kansas |
| Louisiana |
| Mississippi |
| Missouri |
| Nebraska |
| New Mexico |
| North Carolina |
| Oklahoma |
| South Carolina |
| Tennessee |
| Texas |
| Virginia |
| Wyoming and parts of Iowa and Kentucky. |
Product
Five-foot household aluminum stepladders
Description
WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 7) -- Sears, Roebuck and Co., Chicago, III. in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), today announced the continuing recall of approximately 7,500 five-foot household aluminum stepladders sold in 20 states from January 1977 to March 1978. This second notice of the recall, first announced by Sears on March 14, 1978, has been issued in hopes of receiving a better return of the ladders. Sears said that the ladders may pose a potential hazard because under certain conditions the top cap may split, causing the ladder to collapse. No accidents or injuries have been reported, but owners are cautioned against using the affected ladders and are urged to return them to any Sears store for exchange or refund. The ladders being recalled sold for about $13, have green feet and carry either model number 133.42435 or stock number 42435 on the upper end of the side rail. They were sold in Sears retail stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wyoming and parts of Iowa and Kentucky. Anyone needing to verify model numbers on the recalled ladders should call CPSC's toll-free Hotline at 800-638-2772.
Hazard
Sears said that the ladders may pose a potential hazard because under certain conditions the top cap may split, causing the ladder to collapse.
Incidents & Injuries
No accidents or injuries have been reported.
Remedy Instructions
Owners are cautioned against using the affected ladders and are urged to return them to any Sears store for exchange or refund.
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.