Samsung Range Safety Investigation

The Lyon Firm is investigating Samsung gas and electric range stove defects, and representing consumers in product liability class actions nationwide.

Consumer Protection Attorneys are now representing purchasers of Samsung gas and electric ranges that may have been produced with dangerous latent defects, including an allegedly unsafe design in the front-mounted burner control knobs. Plaintiffs say these Samsung ranges are now susceptible to unintentional ignition.

The burner control knobs in question are said to be prone to unintentional operation as they rotate with minor, inadvertent contact. If the Samsung range knobs are accidentally contacted, they actuate without warning, ignite the gas range burners, and risk burn and fire-related accidents.

Owners of the Samsung ranges say they create hazardous kitchen conditions—serious risk of fire, property damage, and personal injury. The Samsung ranges span several model numbers, and all contain the same alleged ignition defect.

Attorneys argue the tiny distance the burner control knobs need to travel to the ON position is inadequate to prevent unintentional ignition. International safety standards require a two-factor actuation mechanism on gas ranges, but consumers say this is not the case with the Samsung gas range.

A complaint filed on behalf of plaintiffs says that “since at least 2014, Samsung has known that its Ranges were susceptible to unintentional actuation.” It goes on to say that consumers have filed numerous incident reports about the alleged Samsung stove defect with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Samsung has essentially admitted that their products contain a dangerous design with page on its website titled “Range knobs accidentally turn on cooktop too easily.”

But despite this knowledge of the safety risks, the company says the range knobs are compliant with applicable international standards, and has not issued any safety recall. Incredibly, Samsung sells replacement knobs to guard against the very defect they continue to produce.

LG and Whirlpool have also been the targets of separate safety investigations involving range and stovetops that easily turn on accidentally.

Samsung range owners with this alleged design defect should contact the firm for more information on how to join the current class action. Free and confidential consultations.