In November last year, electrical giant Whirlpool accepted that thousands of their large air vented tumble dryers and condensing tumble dryers may pose a potential fire risk when fluff catches the heating element. Despite this, they have yet to initiate a recall, and we are so far only seeing a product safety alert with the risk of fire being described as ‘rare’.
Now, thousands of owners are waiting for repairs, with some who have had fires waiting to claim money back that has been claimed form their insurers.
The recall affects potentially five million Hotpoint, Indesit and Creda brands sold between 2004 and 2015.
Hundreds of fires may have been caused by the defect and it’s likely that people may never have realised the link between the cause of the fire and the product being potentially dangerous. Several fatalities from fires are being investigated with links suggesting that the product defect is responsible. If the link is established, Whirlpool could be facing compensation payouts in the millions of pounds for what has happened.
Our Lawyers say on the issue
Right now we’re representing thousands of clients for product liability claims, and we have recovered millions of pounds for victims in the past. We can represent you for injury claims and financial loss claims as well if the fire has resulted in a significant monetary loss.
As lawyers with a wealth if experience in product liability law, we’ll give you the honest and upfront advice right now – establishing the link isn’t always plain sailing. But having investigated this issue, we’re funding cases on a no win, no fee basis for any potential victim involved.
Advice to avoid using the product
Manufactures advice has been that the product is fine to use so long as it is not unattended. To say we’re surprised and concerned at that kind of advice is an understatement. As lawyers, we are not experts in the use or technicalities of the product, but we share the view of the Head of Communications at charity organisation Electrical Safety First, Emma Apter, who said:
“It has come to our attention that some manufacturers advise it is safe to use their products as long as they are supervised during operation. We at Electrical Safety First do not share this view. If you have an appliance that has been recalled we advise you to stop using it until it has been inspected and declared safe to use by a manufacturer’s engineer. It is simply not worth risking a fatality.”
In a word from our legal team:
“Fire kills, and even the smallest of fires can spread quickly; if the link is found then Whirlpool will need to fairly respond to any legitimate compensation claims made against them.”
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