Thousands of Football Helmets Recalled Due to Head Injury Risk
At a time when parents and players are more concerned than ever about concussions and head injuries in football, one manufacturer is recalling thousands of football helmets due to their propensity to crack, posing a greater risk of head injuries to football players. Xenith is recalling almost 6,000 of its helmets after learning that a certain additive wasn't included in the paint mixture for the helmets, causing them to be more brittle.
Xenith sells youth and supplies some high school football teams, so here's what you need to know about the recall.
Cracking Heads
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were 29 reports of Xenith football helmets cracking, though thankfully no injuries were reported. The company, in its own release on the recall, began investigating after a customer complaint in 2015, and found "a 'flex' additive chemical compound, which prevents other coating components from causing embrittlement of the shell material, was not included in the paint mixture for gloss and metallic painted helmets from May 2015 through March 2016."
The CPSC advised football players to immediately stop using the recalled helmets, and players, coaches and parents should contact Xenith to receive a free new replacement helmet.
Corrected Helmets
Xenith claims to have corrected the issue, so the recall only includes "gloss-painted or metallic-painted EPIC Varsity, X2 Varsity, X2E Varsity and youth football helmets" manufactured or reconditioned between May 2015 and March 2016. The company has offered to replace all of the affected football helmets at no charge to customers, including packaging materials and shipping labels to return the affected helmet.
To find out if you have a recalled helmet, you can check the helmet's serial number, and email or text the number to Xenith or call the company and they can tell you whether the helmet has been recalled. If your child has been injured because of a faulty football helmet, you may want to talk to an experienced personal injury attorney -- most are happy to provide a free consultation regarding your case.
Related Resources:
- Have an injury claim? Get your claim reviewed for free. (Consumer Injury)
- Football Helmets Recalled Due to Head Injury Hazard (NBC Dallas-Ft. Worth)
- H.S. Football Player's $300K Brain-Injury Settlement Upheld (FindLaw's Tarnished Twenty)
- Top 7 Questions for Sports Injury Lawsuits (FindLaw's Injured)