CPSC, thyssenkrupp Access Corp. Settle Lawsuit: Firm to Conduct Recall to Inspect Home Elevators Due to Entrapment Hazard Posing Risk of Serious Injury or Death to Children; One Child Death Reported
Washington, D.C. — The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that it settled an administrative lawsuit against thyssenkrupp Access Corp. (TKA), now known as TK Access Solutions Corp., of Grandview, Missouri. The lawsuit, filed in July 2021, involves home or residential elevators under a variety of TKA-owned model names, including Chaparral, Destiny, LEV, LEV II, LEV II Builder, Rise, Volant, Windsor, Independence, and Flexi-Lift that TKA manufactured and sold to dealers for installation in homes between approximately 1996 and 2012.
There have been three incidents involving these elevators, including a 2-year old child who died in 2017 and a 2010 incident that left a 3-year old child permanently disabled.
As part of the settlement, TKA is recalling to inspect the elevators, providing free inspections, and, if necessary, free installation of safety devices, known as space guards, at no charge to consumers.
The consent agreement, which was approved by a vote of 4-1, resolves charges that the elevators present a hazard because children can become entrapped in the space between the exterior hoistway door and the elevator car door or gate and suffer serious injury or death if the elevator is called to another floor.
Homeowners should immediately contact TKA for a free inspection and free installation of the free space guard(s), if necessary, by calling toll-free at 800-285-9862 from 9 am to 5 pm ET Monday through Friday or online at the TKA Home Elevator Safety Program at https://homelevator-safety.com or by emailing [email protected]. Alternatively, TKA will provide inspection and installation instructions directly to homeowners who do not wish to have an installer come into their home.
Until the inspection and installation of space guards has been completed, homeowners should prevent children living in or visiting their homes from accessing a residential elevator.
The settlement of this matter does not constitute a determination by the Commission, or an admission by TKA, that the elevators contain a defect or present a substantial product hazard.
About 16,800 residential elevators, sold for between $15,000 and $25,000 for a two-landing installation, were manufactured and distributed by ThyssenKrupp Access Manufacturing, LLC, thyssenkrupp Access Corp., Access Industries, or National Wheel-O-Vator through 2012.
