Lowe’s class action alleges halogen work light burns skin

Lowe’s class action lawsuit overview:

• Who: Two consumers filed a class action lawsuit against Lowe’s Companies Inc., Lowe’s Home Centers LLC and Utilitech LLC.
• Why: The plaintiffs claim the companies’ Utilitech-brand halogen work light reaches temperatures hot enough to cause skin burns despite being marketed as “safe” for indoor use.
• Where: The Lowe’s class action lawsuit was filed in California federal court.

A new class action lawsuit alleges Lowe’s Companies, Lowe’s Home Centers and Utilitech sell a halogen work light with exterior surfaces that can become hot enough to burn skin during ordinary use.

Plaintiff Thomas Thayer claims he bought a Utilitech 7500-lumens halogen plug-in stand work light from a Lowe’s store in Redding, California, in January 2025, for a painting project.

“Defendants specifically represent, among other things, that the light is rated for indoor and outdoor use and that ‘the Utilitech lineup is designed with an eye on safety’ and ‘safe, high-quality and easy-to-install electrical products at a great value,'” the Lowe’s halogen lights class action lawsuit says.

Thayer alleges the halogen work light’s rear yellow housing and on/off switch reach temperatures hot enough to cause immediate skin burns, and that Lowe’s and Utilitech fail to disclose this anywhere on the product or its packaging.

The day after Thayer bought the light, his wife, plaintiff Deborah Thayer, was burned on her wrist, thumb and forefinger while trying to switch it off, an injury the lawsuit says took weeks to heal.

The plaintiffs want to represent a nationwide class and California subclass of consumers who purchased or used the halogen work light since July 2021.

Lowe’s halogen light reaches nearly 300 F, lawsuit claims

Thayer claims testing found the rear housing reached about 289 degrees Fahrenheit, and the on/off switch about 121 degrees Fahrenheit.

“At those temperatures, the rear yellow housing and on/off switch are hot enough to cause immediate skin burns on contact. The temperatures reached by these exterior surfaces, particularly the on/off switch the user must press to operate the light, substantially exceed the threshold at which adult human skin sustains thermal burn within seconds of contact,” the complaint states.

The Lowe’s halogen lights lawsuit claims the companies had reason to know, citing a 2015 recall of similar products for overheating.

“Because of [the] defendants’ misrepresentative and deceptive packaging and advertising, plaintiffs and class members paid a premium for the light,” the Lowe’s halogen lights lawsuit states.

The Lowe’s class action lawsuit brings claims for breach of warranty, fraud and California consumer protection violations, plus negligence claims by Deborah Thayer. The plaintiffs demand a jury trial and seek damages.

In a separate Lowe’s class action, a consumer accuses the company of running a false discount advertising scheme with perpetual discounts on certain products.

Have you ever been burned by a Lowe’s halogen light? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiffs are represented by Seth A. Safier of Gutride Safier LLP.

The Lowe’s halogen lights class action lawsuit is Thayer, et al. v. Lowe’s Companies Inc., et al., Case No. 2:26-at-01243, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.

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