Safety commission settles lawsuit with elevator manufacturer, recalls nearly 17,000 in-home lifts

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced Wednesday that it has settled an administrative lawsuit against thyssenkrupp Access Corp., now known as TK Access Solutions Corp., involving residential elevators that led to one toddler’s death and another’s permanent disability.

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The lawsuit, filed in July 2021, involved home or residential elevators sold under a variety of TKA-owned models, including Chaparral, Destiny, LEV, LEV II, LEV II Builder, Rise, Volant, Windsor, Independence, and Flexi-Lift.

“Children can become entrapped in the space between the exterior hoistway door and the elevator car door or gate and suffer serious injury or death if the elevator is called to another floor,” the safety commission stated in a news release.

As part of the settlement, Grandview, Missouri-based TKA is recalling about 16,800 elevators for free inspections and, if necessary, free installation of safety devices, known as space guards.

According to the safety commission, TKA fielded reports of three incidents involving the affected elevators, including the 2017 death of a 2-year-old and a 2010 incident that left a 3-year-old permanently disabled.

The affected models were sold to dealers for installation in homes between about 1996 and 2012, for between $15,000 and $25,000 for a two-landing installation.

Homeowners who purchased the affected lifts are advised to prevent children living in or visiting their homes from accessing them until the inspection and installation of space guards has been completed.

Consumers may contact TKA by calling 800-285-9862 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT Monday through Friday; via email at info@homelevator-safety.com; or online at https://homelevator-safety.com.

“The settlement of this matter does not constitute a determination by the Commission, or an admission by TKA, that the elevators contain a defect or present a substantial product hazard,” the product safety agency stated in its news release.

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