Muddy Outdoors Treestand Lawsuit | 2026 Latest Updates

Muddy Outdoors is a defendant in an individual injury lawsuit in New York over an allegedly defective tree stand. The plaintiff alleges the stand injured him. GSM Outdoors, which owns the Muddy brand, is also a defendant. The case was removed to federal court and sent back to state court in November 2025. No class action has been filed in federal court, and no MDL has been formed for treestands. CPSC announced two earlier Muddy recalls in 2010 and 2012, and both covered climbing sticks. If Muddy equipment failed under you, stop using it and keep it as it is.

Latest Muddy Outdoors Treestand Lawsuit Updates

November 18, 2025: Federal Court Remands Treestand Injury Case

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York remanded Alvarez v. The Twister Group, Inc. to Westchester County state court [1]. The removing defendants had not shown the amount in controversy exceeded $75,000.

November 13, 2025: Defendants Remove the Case to Federal Court

GSM and Muddy, the removing defendants, filed a notice of removal on November 13, 2025. It moved the injury case from Westchester County to federal court as No. 7:25-cv-09503.

January 23, 2019: GSM Outdoors Acquires Muddy Outdoors

GSM Outdoors announced on January 23, 2019 that it had acquired Muddy Outdoors, Hawk and Big Game Treestands from Mainstream Holdings [2].

December 20, 2012: CPSC Recall 13-078 Covers Climbing Sticks

CPSC recall 13-078 covers about 1,500 climbing sticks, models 70401 and 70404 [3]. Muddy Outdoors announced it with CPSC. The notice says the sticks can break, posing a risk of serious injury or death to users. The model number is printed on the packaging. Owners were told to stop using the sticks and return them to Muddy Outdoors for a refund or a free replacement product.

July 14, 2010: CPSC Recall 10-300 Covers 2009 Climbing Sticks

CPSC recall 10-300 covers about 2,550 climbing sticks, 2009 models 70301 and 70304 [4]. In its notice, CPSC says the bolts that hold the cam locks to the frame can break. Owners could return the sticks to the firm for a refund, an exchange or a manufacturer’s credit. Muddy Outdoors also sold the sticks directly through Internet and telephone sales.

Who May Be Affected?

People who own or use a Muddy treestand or Muddy climbing sticks may be affected if the equipment failed and they were hurt in a fall. The sticks recalled in 2010 were sold from July 2009 through April 2010, and those recalled in 2012 from July 2012 through October 2012. Whether you have a claim depends on the facts of your own case, so only an individual legal review can say.

Reported Injuries or Damages

The Alvarez complaint alleges the plaintiff sustained severe, painful personal injuries. It also alleges lost enjoyment of life and a need for further medical care. The defendants quoted these allegations in their removal notice. Allegations are not findings. CPSC’s recall notices list two reports of cam-lock bolt breakage in 2010 and four reports of sticks breaking in 2012. No injuries were reported. CPSC’s treestand safety publication, Hunting Treestands and Harnesses, says hunters are killed or seriously injured in falls each season. It reports 41 deaths from 2005 through 2007 and about 19,000 injuries, by staff estimate [5]. The 2004 CPSC petition briefing estimated 6,000 injuries from tree stand use were treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms in 2001 [6]. Reports to CPSC are not proof that a stand caused every incident.

Recall and Regulatory Background

The 2012 recalled sticks have a 20-inch black center stick with tree cleats, fold-out steps and a rope fastened by a cam cleat. A recall does not establish liability. The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation has formed no MDL for treestands [7]. GSM Outdoors also owns Big Game Treestands, which has its own Big Game treestand recall page.

Evidence to Preserve

Evidence can show what failed and how it failed. If a stand, climbing sticks or a harness failed under you, keep these items:

• The stand, climbing sticks, straps, ropes and any broken parts, kept as they are and not repaired, cleaned or thrown away
• Photographs and video of the equipment, the tree, the fall site and the injuries
• The model number, serial number or lot label and the packaging
• Purchase receipts or order confirmations
• The owner’s manual and any harness
• Medical records and bills
• Names of witnesses and hunting partners
• Texts, emails or call records about the equipment or the fall

Filing Deadlines

Deadlines for filing an injury claim come from state law, so the time limit for a treestand fall injury depends on where you live. Time limits can also depend on when the fall or equipment failure happened and, in some states, on when the injury was discovered. A missed deadline can end a claim even when the facts are strong, so it is wise to speak with a lawyer promptly.

Potential Compensation

A person hurt by a failed treestand may seek payment for medical bills, lost wages, rehabilitation and therapy costs, and pain and suffering, depending on the facts and the law that applies. Compensation amounts vary by case. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Potential compensation in the Alvarez complaint is unstated, because the complaint states no dollar amount.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Tree Stands Safe?

CPSC’s tree stand safety guidance says hunters should always use a Treestand Manufacturers’ Association approved full-body harness. It says not to use a single-strap or waist-type harness, which can cause strangulation if a hunter falls.

What Does the Research Say About Tree Stand Falls?

The research on tree stand falls includes CPSC’s finding that many incidents occur while hunters step onto or from the treestand’s platform. In a staff review of 137 incidents from 1980 through 2001, 54 mention tree stand failures, with 6 deaths and 40 injuries.

Has a Court Ruled on the Muddy Outdoors Treestand Lawsuit?

A court has ruled on the Muddy Outdoors treestand lawsuit only in a limited way. Judge Philip M. Halpern’s order made no finding on whether the stand named in the complaint was defective.

Is Muddy Outdoors Still Operating as a Company?

Muddy Outdoors is no longer operating as a corporation, according to the defendants in the Alvarez case. They say it is only a brand name for products distributed by Good Sportsman Marketing, LLC. That is the defendants’ statement, and the court made no finding on it.

References

1. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.653087/gov.uscourts.nysd.653087.6.0.pdf
2. https://bowhunting.com/news/2019/01/23/gsm-outdoors-acquires-muddy-hawk-and-big-game-treestands
3. https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2012/muddy-outdoors-recalls-climbing-sticks-due-to-risk-of-serious-injury-or-death
4. https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2010/muddy-outdoors-recalls-climbing-sticks-due-to-fall-hazard
5. https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/pdfs/blk_pdf_5200.pdf
6. https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/Briefing_Package-Petition_CP_02-3;_Hunting_Tree_Stand_Petition-06.14.2004.pdf
7. https://www.jpml.uscourts.gov/sites/jpml/files/Pending_MDL_Dockets_By_MDL_Number-September-1-2026.pdf