The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a civil lawsuit against Connecticut-based Stanley Black & Decker, alleging the company failed to promptly report dangerous tool defects.
According to the DOJ complaint, Black & Decker “knowingly failed to immediately report to CPSC information about potential hazardous defects or unreasonable safety risks associated with certain of its utility bars and miter saws.”
The complaint cites violations of the Consumer Product Safety Act, which requires companies to notify the Consumer Product Safety Commission when products pose serious safety risks.
The DOJ claims the tool maker delayed reporting dozens of hazard incidents, preventing regulators from taking timely action to protect consumers.
The DOJ charges that Stanley Black & Decker received “numerous reports” from consumers and national retailers shortly after it began manufacturing utility bars in 2015.
Users reported that the bars broke during use and snapped back at them — in some cases, causing serious injury. Stanley Black & Decker are accused of not reporting the defect until 2019.
As for the miter saws, the DOJ claims the company “received hundreds of reports of its miter saws’ rear protective guards and plastic deflectors breaking, including reports of injuries such as lacerations to consumers’ faces and fingers,” between 2019 and 2022.
However, the complaint charges the company did not report the issue to the Consumer Product Safety Commission until 2022.
The DOJ is seeking monetary penalties and legal intervention to prohibit the company from future violations of the CPSA.
“The Justice Department, together with CPSC, is committed to enforcing consumer protection statutes protecting Americans from hazardous products,” Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division said in a statement.
“Companies must report safety issues in consumer products immediately, as the law requires, to prevent unnecessary injury or death.”