Fall Hazard Prompts Tree Step Recall

Primal Vantage Co., Inc., of Randolph, New Jersey, has recalled about 16,000 <"https://www.yourlawyer.com/practice_areas/product_liability">Ameristep Plastic Strap-On Tree Steps, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) just announced.

The plastic portion of the recalled Ameristep Plastic Strap-On Tree Steps can break, posing a fall hazard to the user. To date, Primal Vantage has received five complaints of step breakage, including two reports of consumers being bruised and cut.

The recalled Ameristep Plastic Strap-On Tree Step is a plastic tree step that attaches to a tree via a nylon strap and a large metal buckle. It is used to climb a tree in order to hunt from an elevated position. Models 105 and 155 both have a 12/08 date code, which is stamped on the plastic portion of the step. The recalled Ameristep Plastic Strap-On Tree Steps was sold in 2009 at various outdoor and sporting goods retailers, nationwide as a three-step package in model 105 or as a single step in model 155.

The Ameristep Plastic Strap-On Tree Steps were manufactured in China. Of note, we have been following the issue of defective and, sometimes, dangerous imports making their way into this country from China. The 16,000 recalled Plastic Strap-On Tree Steps are just one of many recalls and issues concerning defective products, food, and medicines imported into this country from China.

In 2008, nearly 80 percent of all product recalls in the U.S. involved imports from China. Products such as dog food, baby formula, toys with lead paint, and even pharmaceuticals like heparin were found to have been made with toxic materials and other counterfeit ingredients that have long put American consumers at significant health risks.

Also making news is the ongoing and massive Chinese drywall disaster involving imports from that country; the first Chinese drywall lawsuit begins this month.

The CPSC is advising consumers to stop using the Plastic Strap-On Tree Steps immediately and should contact Primal Vantage for details on how to obtain a full refund. Consumers are asked not to return the product to retail stores as refunds can only be provided by Primal Vantage.

Primal Vantage can be reached toll free at 1-866-972-6168 between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday or at the firm’s Website at www.treestandcustomerservice.com to print a return form or for further information on how to locate the date code on the Plastic Strap-On Tree Steps.