Lowe’s Class Action Lawsuit Says Ceiling Fans Are Dangerous

A particular model of Lowe’s ceiling fan was manufactured with a defect that makes it dangerous, a new class action lawsuit claims.

The glass globe surrounding the light at the center of the Harbor Breeze Kingsbury ceiling fans is prone to coming loose and falling off, posing a risk to anyone who might be under or near the Lowe’s ceiling fan, according to the class action.

In fact, a number of people have reportedly been injured and Lowe’s even issued a recall notice about the light recently, but consumer Joseph Vasaturo of New York says the company’s actions haven’t gone far enough.

Vasaturo and his lawyers filed the new class action lawsuit against Lowe’s Companies Inc. on Dec. 23 in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. They say Lowe’s has violated New York’s General Business Law and the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act in addition to committing fraud, unjust enrichment and breach of implied warranty.

“A ceiling fan that poses such a hazard is extraordinarily dangerous considering the weight of the light globe and the fact that it is made of glass prone to shatter,” Vasaturo’s class action lawsuit says.

Lowe’s knew there was a problem with the Harbor Breeze Kingsbury ceiling fans for years before issuing the recall, Vasaturo claims. Complaints had been made to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission starting more than five years ago.

“Online safety reports to the CPSC show that Lowe’s knew or should have known of the defect since at least 2015, yet it continued to sell the defective products anyway,” the class action lawsuit states.

Vasaturo is seeking the court’s certification of his case as a class action lawsuit and he is asking to represent a nationwide Class of consumers who purchased the Harbor Breeze Kingsbury ceiling fan.

“With 280,000 units sold at approximately $230 each, Lowe’s profited enormously from its failure to disclose the product defect sooner,” his complaint says.

Vasaturo bought two of the Kingsbury ceiling fans from Lowe’s in 2017 and they began to malfunction shortly after being installed, he says – the glass globe wobbled and would not stay mounted.

Lowe’s issued “a purported recall” of the Lowe’s ceiling fan in October, according to the class action lawsuit, but the remedy was limited to offering customers a new instruction manual for assembly and a label to assist with installation.

“The recall allowed Lowe’s to say it was doing right by its customers, but in fact the recall protected Lowe’s profits by suppressing returns,” Vasaturo’s class action says. “The recall remedy was grossly insufficient because it in no way compensated consumers for the purchase of a dangerous and defective product.”

Do you own a Harbor Breeze Kingsbury model Lowe’s ceiling fan? Have you had trouble with the light globe coming loose or falling off the unit? Tell us about it in the comment section below.

Lead plaintiff Vasaturo and the proposed Class Members are represented by Max S. Roberts and Joel D. Smith of Bursor & Fisher, P.A.

The Lowe’s Ceiling Fan Class Action Lawsuit is Joseph Vasaturo, et al. v. Lowe’s Companies Inc., et al., Case No. 1:20-cv-10901, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

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