CPSC Orders Recall of Surge Protectors Due to Fire Hazard

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on October 18, 2013

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has ordered Schneider Electric to recall APC 7 and 8 series SurgeArrest surge protectors manufactured before 2003 due to a potential fire hazard. CPSC officials say that these surge protectors are prone to overheating and melting and have caused smoke and fire damage to homes and businesses throughout the U.S. Anyone owning an APC 7 and 8 series SurgeArrest surge protector is advised to disconnect the device immediately. The recall affects around 15 million units, which have the model and serial numbers on a label on the bottom of the device. The two numbers that follow the first letter or letters in the serial number sequence indicate the year the device was manufactured. A protector is affected by the recall if the numbers following the letters are 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 00, 01 or 02. Anyone owning an APC surge protector should also look for the words Personal, Professional, Performance or Network.

The surge protectors were sold at Best Buy, Circuit City, CompUSA, and other retailers across the country from January 1993 through December 2002 for between $13.00 and $50.00. Schneider Electric has received at least 700 reports of the surge protectors overheating and melting and at least 55 claims of property damage from smoke and fire, including $916,000 in fire damage to one home and $750,000 in fire damage to a healthcare facility. The company has also received at least 13 reports of injuries due to the defective surge protectors, including smoke inhalation and burns from touching the devices.

Anyone who thinks they own one of the recalled protectors is encouraged to contact for a free replacement device. They can call Schneider Electric toll-free at 888.437.4007 from 8:00am to 5:00pm ET Monday through Friday, or go to http://recall.apc.com, and click on the Recall link to submit a claim.

Orlando personal injury lawyer James O. Cunningham strongly urges readers to take a moment and inspect all the surge protectors in their homes and businesses to see if they own one of the surge protectors affected by this recall. In nearly four decades as an Orlando product liability attorney, Mr. Cunningham has assisted hundreds of clients injured by defective products. Since 1977, he has helped clients receive millions of dollars in damages from manufacturers of defective products through negotiated settlements and court awards in product liability lawsuits. If you believe that you or a close family member has been injured by this or another defective product, call Mr. Cunningham today at 877-FL-INJURY (877-354-6587) to schedule your free consultation.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.