Harbor Freight Jack Stands Lawsuit | Get the Right Lawyer

Update: Harbor Freight Recalls Replacement Jack Stands

For the third time in as many months, Harbor Freight Tools USA has issued a recall involving certain units of Pittsburgh Jack Stands which could break and collapse suddenly due to a welding defect, according to The Drive [1].

The recalled stands, Pittsburgh 3-Ton Heavy Duty Steel Stands, 6-Ton Heavy Duty Steel Stands, and 12-Ton Heavy Duty Steel Stands, were intended to replace defective stands recalled in May 2020. Harbor Freight said that a number of replacement stands have a welding defect that could allow the jack stand to split and collapse.

Which Jack Stands Were Recalled?

According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the initial recall affected:

• Harbor Freight Item #56371 - The 56371 Pittsburgh Automotive 3-ton jack stands can be identified by looking at the item number found on the label at the top of the stand.
• Harbor Freight Item #61196 - The 61196 Pittsburgh Automotive 3-ton heavy-duty jack stands can be identified by looking at the item number found on the yellow part of the label at the base of the stand.
• Harbor Freight Item #61197 - The 61197 Pittsburgh Automotive 6-ton heavy-duty jack stands can be identified by looking at the item number found on the yellow part of the label at the base of the stand.

The ratchet teeth on the recalled jack stands may not sufficiently engage the jack stand pawl to a sufficient depth, possibly causing the stand to fail under load, NHTSA said. If the Harbor Freight jack stand fails, the stand can suddenly drop, increasing the risk of serious injury to persons nearby or under the lifted vehicle.

Harbor Freight is notifying registered owners and stores will provide a gift card equal to the shelf price of the defective Harbor Freight Jack Stands, free of charge. Owners are asked to discontinue use of the recalled jack stands immediately and return them to their local Harbor Freight store.

Class Action Lawsuit Alleges Harbor Freight Jack Stands Collapse Without Warning

A class action lawsuit filed in September 2020 alleges that 1.7 million Harbor Freight jack stands were sold with defects that made the products too dangerous to use.

The lawsuit includes all consumers in the U.S. who purchased Harbor Freight jack stands item numbers 56371, 611196 or 61197. The complaint follows a Pittsburgh automotive jack stand recall of 3-ton and 6-ton heavy duty steel jack stands sold by Harbor Freight.

According to the lawsuit, every jack stand has manufacturing defects which cause the ratchet teeth on the jack stand lifting extension lifting post to inconsistently engage the pawl deep enough. In addition, the 3-ton jack stands allegedly have inconsistent location indexing of the pawl armature holes.

Plaintiff Markeith Mitchell purchased the 6-ton stands and used them a few times, but allegedly experienced slip on the ratcheting mechanism while lifting his truck. While he had safety mechanisms in place to catch the vehicle before it slammed into the ground, he stopped using the jack stands because he felt they were dangerous.

Mitchell says he tried to return the stands to Harbor Freight but was told they were no longer under warranty and couldn’t be returned. Plaintiff alleges he received no value from the stands, and threw them away because they were too dangerous to use.

The class action lawsuit claims that sales of the stands were negligent because the stands were “unmerchantable” and unfit for their intended purposes. The stands were also allegedly unreasonably dangerous and caused damage to all buyers because the “jack stands were worthless in the condition they were purchased.”

The Harbor Freight jack stand lawsuit brings claims for breach of warranty, negligence, and product liability.

Other Jack Stand Recalls

Summit Racing Jack Stands Recall

January 2021 - Autosales Inc. recalled Summit Racing 3-ton stands (part number SUM-918005) and Summit Racing 6-Ton Stands (part number SUM-918006) which may fail during use, allowing a vehicle to fall without warning.

The stands were manufactured with a ratchet bar that may fail during use, allowing the vehicle to fall without warning.

"Under load, the stand may drop suddenly, increasing the risk of injury to people near or under a lifted vehicle," NHTSA said.

Autosales Inc. is notifying owners and Summit Racing will provide a full cash refund or store credit, in addition to a $25.00 gift certificate, upon return of the stand or evidence of destruction.

Walmart Hyper Tough Jack Stand Recall

September 2020 - Walmart recalled certain Hyper Tough Stands which may be defectively designed in a way that makes them prone to collapsing, increasing the risk of severe injuries or death to users.

The recall affects Walmart Hyper Tough 2 Ton Jack Stands, model 2TJS, sold under part number 0085001232400. Walmart issued the recall after it was found that the stands may not be able to support the rated load without collapsing unexpectedly.

A sudden drop of the jack stand can increase the risk of injury to persons nearby or under the lifted vehicle, according to the NHTSA.

If you purchased a jack stand that is affected by this recall, you should stop using it immediately and return it to Walmart for a full refund.

Also read: Product Liability Lawsuits

How to File a Jack Stand Lawsuit

The first step in filing a lawsuit is to mitigate any injuries as soon as possible. Mitigation involves seeking proper medical expert care, advice, and treatment. This is critical both for your/your family member’s health, as well as for the strength of your case.

Next, gather evidence including any relevant bills, documents, records, and photos. After mitigating injuries and gathering evidence, you should seek out legal guidance and hire an experienced personal injury attorney.

It is also important to learn more about the steps of the civil litigation process and your state’s statute of limitations.

Get a Free Harbor Freight Jack Stand Lawsuit Evaluation With Our Lawyers

The Product Liability Litigation Group at our law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus on the representation of plaintiffs in Harbor Freight Jack Stand Lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently accepting new injury and death cases in all 50 states.

If you or a loved one has been injured by a recalled Harbor Freight jack stand, you should contact our law firm immediately for a confidential case evaluation. You may be entitled to a settlement by filing a suit and we can help.