Hunters hurt in a fall from a Lone Wolf treestand may have an injury claim to review. CPSC reports that hunters are killed or seriously injured in falls related to hunting treestands every season.
As of October 5, 2026, no recall or MDL names Lone Wolf treestands. Federal dockets do list individual product-liability cases against Oak Leaf Outdoors, Inc., which one docket styles d/b/a Lone Wolf Treestands.
The five cases were filed from 2010 through 2020. The latest found, Spicer, was remanded to New York state court on November 12, 2021, and the cases are closed or remanded.
- Case or litigation name: No MDL; individual cases include Guest, Webb, Valente, Battista and Spicer v. Oak Leaf Outdoors, Inc.
- Defendants: Oak Leaf Outdoors, Inc. (styled d/b/a Lone Wolf Treestands in the Webb docket)
- Court and docket number, when available: E.D. Pa. No. 2:11-cv-02456 (Webb); E.D. Pa. No. 5:10-cv-05288 (Guest); E.D. Mich. No. 2:14-cv-12892 (Valente); E.D.N.Y. No. 1:18-cv-01459 (Battista); N.D.N.Y. No. 5:20-cv-01618 (Spicer)
- MDL number, judge, and case count, when an MDL exists: No MDL
- Filing date: October 7, 2010 (Guest, the earliest of the individual cases found)
- Main allegations: Personal-injury product liability claims, as the federal dockets classify these cases
- Products or people involved: Hunters who use treestands; only the Webb docket names Lone Wolf Treestands
Table Of Contents
- Latest Lone Wolf Treestand Lawsuit Updates
- November 12, 2021: Spicer Case Moved Back to New York State Court
- March 8, 2018: Battista Case Removed to Federal Court in New York
- July 23, 2015: Court Rules on Summary Judgment in Valente Case
- April 30, 2012: Court Rules on Summary Judgment in Guest Case
- April 27, 2011: Company Answers Complaint in Webb Case
- June 14, 2004: CPSC Staff Briefing on Tree Stand Petition
- Who May Be Affected?
- Reported Injuries or Damages
- Evidence to Preserve
- Filing Deadlines
- Potential Compensation
- Frequently Asked Questions
- References
Latest Lone Wolf Treestand Lawsuit Updates
November 12, 2021: Spicer Case Moved Back to New York State Court
The Northern District of New York granted the plaintiff’s motion to join additional defendants in Spicer v. Oak Leaf Outdoors, Inc. Then the court remanded the whole action to the state court in Onondaga County, New York [1].
The docket classifies the case as a diversity product-liability action under federal number 5:20-cv-01618. It names Oak Leaf Outdoors, Inc., Lone Wolf, Inc. and Weaver Enterprises, LTD. as defendants.
March 8, 2018: Battista Case Removed to Federal Court in New York
Oak Leaf Outdoors, Inc. removed Battista v. Oak Leaf Outdoors, Inc. to the Eastern District of New York and answered the complaint [2]. The docket closed on January 30, 2020.
The docket lists federal number 1:18-cv-01459 and calls the matter a personal-injury product-liability suit. The company also filed a corporate disclosure statement on the day of removal.
July 23, 2015: Court Rules on Summary Judgment in Valente Case
The Eastern District of Michigan granted in part and denied in part the company’s motion for summary judgment in Valente v. Oak Leaf Outdoors, Inc. [3]. A second order denied the company’s motion to exclude the plaintiff’s expert.
District Judge Nancy G. Edmunds signed both opinions. The case was removed to federal court on July 24, 2014, and the docket closed on December 11, 2015.
April 30, 2012: Court Rules on Summary Judgment in Guest Case
The Eastern District of Pennsylvania denied summary judgment on Counts I, II and V in Guest v. Oak Leaf Outdoors, Inc. [4]. Summary judgment was granted on Counts III and IV, so those counts were dismissed.
The docket lists federal number 5:10-cv-05288 and classifies the case as diversity product liability. The docket entry names no product and no injury.
April 27, 2011: Company Answers Complaint in Webb Case
In Webb v. Oak Leaf Outdoors, Inc., Oak Leaf Outdoors, Inc., d/b/a Lone Wolf Treestands, answered the complaint. The case was filed on April 8, 2011 [5].
The answer also filed cross-claims against several Cabela’s entities, Andrae D’Acquisto and Lone Wolf Manufacturing, Inc. The docket lists federal number 2:11-cv-02456. Its nature of suit is personal-injury product liability.
June 14, 2004: CPSC Staff Briefing on Tree Stand Petition
A Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) staff briefing package on Petition CP 02-3, a hunting tree stand petition, carries a vote sheet dated June 14, 2004 [6].
Staff recorded 137 tree stand incidents from 1980 through 2001. The package also described the voluntary standards then used for tree stands.
Who May Be Affected?
Hunters who use hang-on or climbing treestands may be affected by treestand falls, including hunters who use a Lone Wolf stand.
According to CPSC’s publication Hunting Treestands and Harnesses, many incidents occur while hunters are stepping onto or from the treestand’s platform [7].
Only a legal review of each person’s facts can say whether a claim fits. Hunters hurt on another brand can read about the Gorilla treestand lawsuit.
Reported Injuries or Damages
Injury figures for treestands come from CPSC reports, not complaint allegations, and none names Lone Wolf. Hunting Treestands and Harnesses says 41 treestand-related deaths were reported to CPSC from 2005 through 2007.
CPSC staff estimated about 19,000 treestand-related injuries during the same period. CPSC’s staff briefing package on Petition CP 02-3 counted 62 deaths and 55 injuries among incidents for 1980 through 2001.
The package found 54 incidents that mention tree stand failures, with 6 deaths, 40 injuries and 8 incidents without injury. These are agency counts of reported incidents and do not prove that a product caused every one.
The federal dockets for Oak Leaf Outdoors, Inc. give no complaint text, no injury and no outcome on the merits. They are not findings of defect, liability or causation. The Hunter Safety System treestand lawsuit page covers another brand.
Evidence to Preserve
These items can show what happened, so keep them safe and unaltered:
- The treestand and every part, including straps, cables, platform, seat, hardware and any failed or broken piece, left unrepaired and not thrown away.
- The harness and straps you wore at the time, kept as they were after the fall and not reused.
- Photographs of the tree, the stand’s position and the failure point, plus any phone, camera or GPS data from that day.
- The purchase receipt, the model and serial number, the warning labels and the owner’s manual for the stand.
- Medical records and bills, and pay records for any time missed from work after the injury.
- Names and contact details of any witnesses or hunting partners who were there that day.
Filing Deadlines
Deadlines for an injury claim come from state law. They also vary with where you live and when the injury happened.
Some states start the clock on the date of the injury, while others start it only when the injury was discovered.
Missing a deadline can end a claim even when the facts are strong, so you should check with a lawyer promptly.
Potential Compensation
Medical expenses, rehabilitation, lost wages, lost earning capacity and pain and suffering may be categories of damages in an injury claim.
Compensation amounts vary by case. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Potential compensation depends on the facts of each person’s claim.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is There a Lone Wolf Treestand Lawsuit?
A Lone Wolf treestand lawsuit is shown only by the Webb docket, which names Lone Wolf Treestands. The other federal dockets list Oak Leaf Outdoors, Inc. and do not state whether a treestand was involved. The latest found, Spicer, was filed December 29, 2020.
What Does CPSC Say About Treestand Harnesses?
CPSC says hunters should use a Treestand Manufacturers’ Association approved full-body harness. A single-strap or waist-type harness can cause strangulation in a fall, CPSC warns. Its staff briefing package on Petition CP 02-3 found 7 hanging or asphyxiation deaths involving a safety belt or harness from 1980 through 2001.
What Should You Do If a Treestand or Harness Fails?
On what to do about a treestand or harness, CPSC says the harness should be replaced after a fall has occurred. It also says hunters should check the treestand and the harness for wear or damage before each use.
What Does the Research Say About Treestand Falls?
CPSC research on treestand falls, in its staff briefing package on Petition CP 02-3, includes a staff estimate that 6,000 injuries attributed to tree stand use were treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms in 2001. The estimate is based on National Electronic Injury Surveillance System data.
References
- https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/34012257/spicer-v-oak-leaf-outdoors-inc/
- https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/6420693/battista-v-oak-leaf-outdoors-inc/
- https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/5416440/valente-v-oak-leaf-outdoors-inc/
- https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/5015007/guest-v-oak-leaf-outdoors-inc/
- https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/5211288/6/webb-v-oak-leaf-outdoors-inc/
- https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/Briefing_Package-Petition_CP_02-3;_Hunting_Tree_Stand_Petition-06.14.2004.pdf
- https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/pdfs/blk_pdf_5200.pdf