In April 2025, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce unanimously approved the Setting Consumer Standards for Lithium-Ion Batteries Act. The Act, if it is enacted, would convert current voluntary standards ANSI/CAN/UL...more
On December 19, 2024, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) unilaterally issued a warning to consumers to stop using Sport Nets 4’ x 8’ portable soccer goals. According to CPSC, an exposed metal tip at the top of the...more
2/19/2025
/ Consumer Product Companies ,
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Manufacturers ,
Product Defects ,
Product Recalls ,
Regulatory Agencies ,
Regulatory Authority ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Safety Standards
In recent years, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has increased pressure on consumer product companies through various enforcement mechanisms. The increase in the frequency and amount of civil penalties sought by...more
2/19/2025
/ Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Compliance ,
Consumer Product Companies ,
Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA) ,
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Enforcement ,
Product Defects ,
Product Recalls ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Safety Standards
During September 2024’s “Baby Safety Month,” the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) published its annual report detailing injuries and deaths associated with nursery products among children under the age of five. CPSC...more
In a disappointing, yet somewhat unsurprising, turn of events, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has refused to retract Commissioner Richard Trumka’s unilateral statements earlier this year encouraging retailers...more
On May 16, 2024, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) took an unconventional action, unilaterally issuing a recall announcement urging consumers to dispose of CHZHVAN Combination Smoke and Carbon...more
The House Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce (the “Subcommittee”) recently held a hearing on the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) budget, which was cut by $1.525 million from Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 to...more
The California Supreme Court granted review in Gilead Life Sciences v. Superior Court—a hopeful turn of events after lower courts issued decisions that resulted in an unprecedented expansion of negligence liability for...more
6/14/2024
/ CA Supreme Court ,
Gilead Sciences ,
Healthcare ,
HIV ,
Liability ,
Life Sciences ,
Manufacturers ,
Negligence ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Product Defects ,
Summary Judgment
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or the “Commission”) has scheduled a public hearing on May 8, 2024, to hear stakeholders’ views on the Commission’s priorities for fiscal years 2025 and 2026. This annual...more
In this final installment of our series (see part 1, part 2, and part 3) discussing CPSC’s presence at the 2024 International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization’s annual symposium, we present two smaller, but...more
California lawmakers are considering a bill that would limit confidentiality in cases involving allegations of defective products or environmental harms by placing restrictions on protective orders and confidentiality terms...more
5/11/2022
/ California ,
Confidentiality Agreements ,
Disclosure ,
Early Dispute Resolution ,
Non-Disclosure Agreement ,
Product Defects ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Protective Orders ,
Right To Know ,
Settlement Agreements ,
Strict Product Liability
A federal district court in Wisconsin recently hit Spectrum Brands Inc. (Spectrum) with civil penalties of $1.9 million for violations of the Consumer Products Safety Act (CPSA). The court’s 23-page opinion is a strong...more
On April 13, 2017, in Azoulai v. BMW of N. Am. LLC (Case No. 16-cv-00589), the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California dismissed a proposed consumer fraud class action against BMW of North America LLC...more
On April 13, 2017, in Azoulai v. BMW of N. Am. LLC (Case No. 16-cv-00589), the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California dismissed a proposed consumer fraud class action against BMW of North America LLC...more
The Supreme Court case Spokeo, Inc. v. Robins reaffirmed and clarified the requirements necessary for plaintiffs to establish standing. As evidenced by the recent First Circuit case Hochendoner v. Genzyme Corp., the analysis...more
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission continues to escalate its enforcement efforts. Recently, the U.S. Department of Justice, on behalf of the CPSC, filed suit against Spectrum Brands Inc. See United States v. Spectrum...more
The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) continues to escalate its enforcement efforts. Last week, the United States Department of Justice, on behalf of CPSC, filed suit against Spectrum Brands, Inc....more
6/23/2015
/ Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA) ,
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Manufacturers ,
Notice Requirements ,
Product Defects ,
Product Recalls ,
Spectrum