Point Blank Enterprises Class Action Says Bulletproof Vests Are Defective

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Several law enforcement organizations and officers have filed a class action lawsuit alleging bulletproof vests made by Point Blank Enterprises Inc. have a design defect that causes the vests to fall apart.

The bulletproof vest class action lawsuit was filed in Florida federal court last week by plaintiffs Ohio State Troopers Association Inc., International Union of Police Associations, and three members of the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

According to the bulletproof vest defect class action lawsuit, Point Blank is one of the world’s biggest manufacturers of law enforcement and military protective products. The products, including ballistic resistant soft body armor (more commonly referred to as bullet resistant vests), are sold by Point Blank Body Armor Inc. (PBBA) or under the following brand names: Paraclete, Protective Products Enterprises, and Protective Apparel Corporation of America (PACA).

The plaintiffs claim that certain PBBA and PACA model vests manufactured by Point Blank Enterprises “pose a life-threatening safety issue and cannot be reasonably relied upon for their intended use.” The vests at issue contain what Point Blank Enterprises allegedly touts as a proprietary “Self-Suspending Ballistic System (SBSS)” feature.

“Defendant breached its express and implied warranties, and misrepresented and omitted material facts regarding the quality, condition, suitability and safety of the SSBS vests, and concealed that these vests contain a manufacturing defect which has created an imminent and substantial danger and risk of injury and death to the Individual Plaintiffs and others who use and depend upon the vests, many of whom are law enforcement officers whose job it is to protect the public,” the Point Blank Enterprises class action lawsuit states.

According to the bulletproof vest class action lawsuit, the design, materials and workmanship of the SBSS is defective. The plaintiffs allege the ballistic panels unexpectedly detach from the shoulder straps, requiring officers to find another way to hold their vests in place while in the field. The plaintiffs report they have used duct tape and electrical tape to hold their suits together.

The plaintiffs allege that the bulletproof vest defect cannot be detected until the vest fails. They accuse Point Blank of concealing the defects and failing to notify consumers about the defect or issue a recall of the allegedly defective vests.

Like many other bulletproof vests, Point Blank’s come with a five-year warranty on the ballistic panels. However, one of the individual plaintiffs claims that he was sent a new set of shoulder straps and carrier in response to his warranty claim, which did not fix the problem.

“Replacing a defective product with a defective product is not an adequate remedy,” the bulletproof vest class action lawsuit says.

The bulletproof vest class action lawsuit estimates that Point Blank has manufactured and sold more than 100,000 SSBS vests in the last five years in the average price range of $700.

The plaintiffs are seeking all damages allowed by law, pre- and post-judgment interest, attorneys’ fees and costs, and other relief deemed appropriate by the court.

The plaintiffs are represented by Michael W. Moskowitz and Ari J. Glazer of Moskowitz Mandell Salim & Simowitz PA, Allan Kanner and Cynthia St. Amant of Kanner & Whiteley LLC, David M. Cohen of Complex Law Group LLC and Herschel M. Sigall.

The Point Blank Enterprises Bulletproof Vest Defect Class Action Lawsuit is Ohio State Troopers Association Inc., et al. v. Point Blank Enterprises Inc., Case No. 0:17-cv-62051, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.