Defective Gas Grill
Posted by John Sedgewick - 15/01/10 at 12:01 pmThere has been a recall of 10,000 gas grills due to the risk that the rubber hose connecting the gas supply to the burner will melt and rupture. This is a danger in these grills because the hose is too close to the burner. When the hose gets hot, it melts, gas leaks out creating a risk of fire and explosion.
This is an obvious defect in grill design and easily avoidable. After all, it doesn’t take engineering skills to realize that a rubber hose containing flammable gas is very dangerous when it adjacent to hot components or flames.
It is more common to find defects in gas grills associated with the metal valves and burners that are supposed to control gas flow. If the valves or burners leak, or do not fully control the volume and direction of the gas flow, gas can build up in the body of the grill or in a space where the grill is stored. Such leaking and accumulation of gas can lead to explosion and fire.
If you have a gas grill that looks old, rusty, or corroded, or if the flame is hard to light, sputters, flares, or won’t stay lit, don’t take chances. Dispose of it properly and buy a new one. Also, if your gas cylinder is rusty, dented, or smells like gas, don’t use it. Put it in an open area where any leaking gas will not accumulate and find out from your local fire department how to dispose of it.
If you or a someone you know has been injured as a result of a gas explosion or other defect in a gas grill or stove, contact a lawyer who has handled similar cases. An early and thorough investigation of the case can be important to a good outcome. Among other things, good pictures of the scene should be taken and the critical evidence must be protected and preserved.
