Sears recalling unsafe kitchen stoves

Sears recalling unsafe kitchen stoves

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Story Published: Feb 20, 2008 at 7:21 PM PDT

Story Updated: Feb 21, 2008 at 11:34 AM PDT

By Connie Thompson

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When you think of appliances tipping over, you may not think about think about your kitchen stove. But safety advocates say stoves can and do tip over, and now a major retailer is agreeing to do something about it.

If you own a stove from Sears you may be in for good news.

Consumer advocates say stoves that tip over have been linked to more than 100 deaths and injuries.

Now, Sears has settled a class action lawsuit that will pay to install anti-tip safety brackets or provide other reimbursements for qualified consumers.

Sears has agreed to notify almost four million customers who may have Sears stoves dating back to 2000. One consumer group estimates fixing the problem could cost Sears $545 million.

"This agreement by Sears and the lawyers for the consumer, is a real deal. This is a fantastic deal for a lawsuit to make this headway and get protection for the consumer." said Joan Claybrook of Public Citizen.

In a statement, Sears said "the parties dispute many aspects of the case, including the value of this settlement- which Sears estimates to be a small fraction of what plaintiff's counsel estimates."

It's important to point out that it's not just sears brand stoves that can tip over. It's almost any stove that does not have a safety bracket installed.

But putting brackets on stoves is currently not required by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Consumer groups argue the device should be mandatory, but a CPSC spokeswoman says the agency believes voluntary standards are working.

For more information:

Sears Range Settlement

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