Defective Office Equipment

Office Equipment Injuries

When people think of workplace injuries, they often imagine construction sites or factory accidents. Yet every year, thousands of office employees suffer serious injuries caused by defective office equipment and faulty products. From malfunctioning chairs to overheating electronics, defective office supplies can pose hidden dangers in even the most ordinary work environment.

Manufacturers and distributors have a legal duty to ensure their products are safe for everyday use. When that duty is breached, and someone is injured as a result, the victim may have grounds for a product liability lawsuit to recover damages for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

• WorkPro Momentum Office Chairs — January 2025
  Roughly 64,000 WorkPro Momentum office chairs were recalled after reports that the bolts connecting the backrest to the seat could loosen or fail. The defect created a significant fall hazard, leading to injuries from sudden collapses. The recall covered both the black and gray models sold through major office supply retailers nationwide.
• ByKallevig Faux Leather Office Chairs — March 2024
  The ByKallevig “Futura” and “Dinamo” series office chairs were recalled in the United Kingdom due to flammability concerns. Testing revealed that the faux-leather upholstery failed to meet fire-safety standards, creating a potential fire risk if the chairs were exposed to heat or open flame.
• Lexmark Office Printers — January 2025
  More than 40,000 Lexmark office printers, including the MS725dvn and MX725adve models, were recalled after it was discovered that a metal component inside the printer could dislodge and overheat. The defect posed a potential fire hazard, particularly in commercial settings where printers operate for extended periods.
• Adjustable Standing Desks — 2024
  Several brands of adjustable standing desks were recalled after reports that faulty lifting motors or unstable legs caused desks to collapse. In some cases, users suffered injuries from falling monitors and office equipment. The recalls involved a variety of imported electric standing desks sold online through e-commerce platforms.
• Office Power Strips and Surge Protectors — 2024–2025
  Multiple lines of power strips and surge protectors sold through major retailers were recalled due to overheating and electrical shorting risks. Some units were found to have inadequate insulation or wiring flaws, increasing the potential for fires or electric shocks in home and office environments.

Employees in office settings may not see regular everyday items like chairs, desks and other furniture and office equipment as a workplace hazard, but even so, some defective products may cause injuries and make the office more dangerous than previously thought.

Workers may be injured performing normal tasks in an office environment, although the vast majority of reported injuries are preventable.

Office chairs are known to fail and prompt product recalls. According to a study conducted by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, unstable, faulty and defective furniture is the cause of over 40,000 emergency room visits. Primary causes included household and office chairs.

In recent years, faulty and defective office furniture, supplies and equipment have been recalled after causing injuries or has not performed as intended, prompting safety experts to warn consumers of the risks. Offices are normally furnished with items like desks and chairs, and every so often, these may be defectively manufactured.

Other office supplies may also cause injury if they are defective, such as staplers, paper cutters and box cutters. If you have been injured by any equipment in your office, you may be entitled to compensation, and should contact an experienced product liability attorney.

Joe Lyon is a highly-rated product liability lawyer representing plaintiffs nationwide in a wide variety of consumer product liability and workplace injury cases.

Office Product Recalls and Safety Hazards

Over the past few years, federal safety regulators have announced numerous recalls for defective office furniture and electronics. Some office chairs were recalled after reports of wheels snapping or hydraulic bases ejecting, while several popular brands of surge protectors and monitors were recalled due to overheating and fire risks.

Recalls are often issued only after injuries have already occurred. Unfortunately, many workers are unaware that the equipment they use daily has been recalled. In some cases, recalled items remain in circulation through resale websites or outdated office inventories. When these unsafe products cause harm, victims may pursue compensation even if they were unaware of the recall at the time of injury.

Defective Office Chairs Recalled

American office workers sit in chairs for many hours each day and don’t think they pose a possible risk. However, office chairs, like any other consumer product may fail when defective. If a consumer has taken normal precaution and the chair still causes an injury, they may be entitled to a personal injury claim.

Staples recalled 124,000 Hazen Mesh Task chairs because the legs on the base of the chair can break, and pose a fall hazard. Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled chairs and contact Staples. Staples has received 20 reports of the legs breaking on the chairs, including three reports of injuries.

Leggett & Platt recalled 47,000 Office chairs originally sold at Costco, OfficeMax, Office Depot, Staples, and also online at Amazon.com, Costco.com, OfficeDepot.com, Staples.com, and Walmart.com. The company has noted that the hazard is caused by seat slider bolts and push nuts that may disconnect and fall from the office chair, causing the seat to detach from the chair, posing a fall hazard to consumers.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Office Depot agreed to penalties of $3.4 million in settlement regarding its failure to notify the safety agency of defects and safety risks concerning two types of chairs it sold with defective seatbacks.

The two chair models, the “Gibson” and the “Quantum,” triggered back-related and other injuries among users. The CPSC received 14 notices of injuries resulting from the Quantum chair, and about 25 injury complaints associated with the Gibson chair. Both items were recalled but not before thousands of chairs were put to market.

Defective Office Equipment

If you have been injured by defective office equipment of any kind you may have a claim against a negligent manufacturer. Office product manufacturers should be held accountable for the injuries that they cause to workers.

If the product that caused your injury was recalled, you should contact the Lyon Firm and we can provide you with the legal assistance necessary to be eligible for compensation.

Common Defective Office Equipment

Office equipment defects can involve nearly any product found in a workplace setting. Some of the most frequent culprits include:

- Office chairs with faulty pneumatic lifts or unstable bases that can collapse suddenly, causing back or head injuries.

- Standing desks or adjustable workstations with defective motors or locking mechanisms that fail during use.

- Printers, copiers, and shredders that overheat, jam, or lack proper guards around moving parts.

- Electrical cords, power strips, and adapters that are prone to short-circuiting or catching fire.

- Lighting fixtures and lamps that tip easily, overheat, or have frayed wiring.