As the winter months drag on, it is a given that some residents throughout the Pittsburgh area are daydreaming about hot summer days. For some, that means spending the dog days of summer relaxing in a hammock in their backyard. Few are likely considering that the stand which they are using is defective. Owners of one particular hammock stand should be aware of a recent recall however.

Hammock distributor Twin Oaks, along with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, recently announced a voluntary recall of around 2,300 of their hammock stands known as Standard and Economy Hammock Stands. So far, the distributor has reportedly learned of 43 instances of foot brackets cracking. In some of those cases, individuals using a hammock in the stand fell after the stand collapsed. Fortunately, no one has been injured.

The model numbers included in the recall are the green stand 1C4015 or the black stand 14016. It was sold in stores throughout the country, including the state of Pittsburgh beginning in December 2007 and ending in June 2011. The distributor is offering replacement foot brackets free of charge.

When someone has been injured after using a defective product, that person may be able to recoup financial compensation for their injuries via a products liability lawsuit. These lawsuits can be complex and have certain timing requirements. For this reason anyone in that situation should contact an experienced products liability lawyer in a timely manner. He or she should be able to determine if a case is worth pursuing.

Source: WANE, "Twin Oaks recalls hammock stands due to fall hazard," March 7, 2012