Legal Question in Product Liability in California

About 2 weeks ago my husband was attempting to take off the glass diffuser on our Minka Aire ceiling fan, because the bulb had burned out. The directions in the instruction booklet clearly says "to install the glass diffuser, turn it clockwise until it locks in place", so my husband was turning it counter-clockwise to try to remove it. It would not come off and he kept trying to take it off when the glass shattered and cut one of his fingers badly enough for him to receive several stitches. One of the pieces of glass was big enough for my husband to see that he needed to turn it counter-clockwise to install it, and we ordered the exact replacement diffuser which does require it to be turned counter-clockwise to install it. Does my husband have any legal recourse against the manufacturer?


Asked on 1/07/11, 7:36 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Jonathan Reed Reed & Mansfield

I like your case from your description. To be more certain that you have a case I would want to buy another identical ceiling fan if possible and see if I could determine if there was some defect that requires the glass diffuser to be rotated with excessive force (enough to risk breaking it) when removing it from the unit. If I could see and explain this defect, then I would be confident you have a case. There might also be a basis for liability in the type of glass used. That said, there remains the question if there was enough injury and medical expense to make this case worthwhile.

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Answered on 1/12/11, 10:33 pm


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