Table of contents
- Latest Treestand Lawsuit Updates
- December 1, 2022: Summit Recalls Viper Level PRO SD Treestands
- December 22, 2021: Big Game Recalls the Captain Hang-On
- November 4, 2020: Alliance Outdoor Products Recalls X-Stand Treestands
- April 11, 2019: DICK’S Recalls Field and Stream Tree Stands
- November 30, 2016: Summit Recalls Explorer SD Climbing Treestands
- October 20, 2015: Big Game Recalls Climbing Tree Stands
- What Are Treestands?
- Who May Be Affected?
- Reported Injuries or Damages
- Recall and Regulatory Background
- Evidence to Preserve
- Filing Deadlines
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Can You File a Treestand Lawsuit After a Fall?
- Who Do I Contact About a Recalled Treestand?
- What Harness Does CPSC Recommend for Treestand Hunting?
- Can a Hunter in a Full-Body Harness Still Be Hurt in a Fall?
- What Do DICK’S Customers Get Back on a Recalled Tree Stand?
Treestand falls have led to repeated recalls of climbing and hang-on hunting treestands. Recall notices describe cables that release or dislodge, and welds that break. Hunters have reported falls and, in some cases, fractures.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced six treestand recalls from October 2015 to December 2022. The newest is the Summit Viper Level PRO SD recall of December 1, 2022.
The notices name Summit, Big Game, X-Stand and DICK’S. Remedies are a refund, a replacement or replacement cables. No class action or MDL has been filed over treestands.
Latest Treestand Lawsuit Updates
December 1, 2022: Summit Recalls Viper Level PRO SD Treestands
On December 1, 2022, CPSC announced a recall by Summit of about 2,555 Viper Level PRO SD climbing treestands, models SU81140 and SU81141 [1].
The tree cable can dislodge from the cable assembly. CPSC recall 23-061 offers a full refund. Consumers should stop using the treestand and contact Summit for the refund.
December 22, 2021: Big Game Recalls the Captain Hang-On
On December 22, 2021, CPSC posted a recall by Big Game of about 1,030 The Captain Hang-on treestands, model BGM-FP0050, batch 2M-0121 [2]. Cable crimps can slip.
Recall 22-034 offers replacement cables or a full refund on return of the treestand. Big Game Treestands is contacting all known consumers directly.
November 4, 2020: Alliance Outdoor Products Recalls X-Stand Treestands
On November 4, 2020, CPSC posted a recall by Alliance Outdoor Products of about 3,400 X-Stand climbing treestands [3]. The models are Silent Adrenaline XSCT334 and Apache XSCT355.
The cable assemblies on these models can separate due to corrosion. CPSC recall 21-022 offers owners of the recalled treestands a refund.
April 11, 2019: DICK’S Recalls Field and Stream Tree Stands
On April 11, 2019, CPSC posted a recall by DICK’S Sporting Goods of about 2,600 Field & Stream Timberline Hang On tree stands [4].
The weld on the seats can break. CPSC recall 19-103 offers owners a refund or store credit on the recalled tree stands.
November 30, 2016: Summit Recalls Explorer SD Climbing Treestands
On November 30, 2016, CPSC posted a recall of about 270 Explorer SD closed front climbing treestands from Summit [5]. A weld in the frame can break. CPSC recall 17-041 offers a free replacement of the stand.
October 20, 2015: Big Game Recalls Climbing Tree Stands
On October 20, 2015, CPSC posted a recall of about 12,200 model year 2014 climbing tree stands from Big Game. The models are CL050 The Outlook, CL100-A The Cobalt and CL500-AP The Fusion [6].
The cable assembly on these models can release. CPSC recall 16-012 offers owners free replacement cables for the recalled climbing tree stands.
What Are Treestands?
According to CPSC, treestands and treestand fall arrest systems, which are full-body harnesses, are typically used by bow hunters. CPSC staff take part in voluntary standards that set testing for load capacity, static stability and repetitive loading [7].
Big Game’s 2021 recall notice describes a hang-on style stand as one used to hunt from elevation. The Summit, X-Stand and 2015 Big Game recalls cover climbing stands.
Who May Be Affected?
Hunters who used a recalled climbing or hang-on treestand may be affected. The recall notices give these sale periods and prices:
- Viper Level PRO SD (Summit): sold January 2022 through October 2022 for about $530
- The Captain Hang-on, batch 2M-0121 (Big Game): sold August 2021 through October 2021 for between $60 and $80
- Silent Adrenaline XSCT334 and Apache XSCT355 (X-Stand): sold May 2017 through December 2018 for between $200 and $230
- Field & Stream Timberline Hang On (DICK’S): sold September 2017 through January 2019 for between $65 and $130
CPSC’s Hunting Treestands and Harnesses guide (Pub. #5200) says many incidents occur while hunters step onto or from the treestand’s platform [8]. Whether a hunter qualifies for any claim requires an individual legal review.
Reported Injuries or Damages
Treestand recall notices report cable and weld failures that caused falls and injuries. These figures are company reports to CPSC and are not court findings:
- Summit 2022: two reports of the cable dislodging, no injuries
- Big Game 2021: ten reports of cables releasing and causing falls, two injuries
- X-Stand 2020: five reports of cable separating, two injuries involving fractures
- DICK’S 2019: three reports of seats breaking, no injuries
- Summit 2016: none reported
- Big Game 2015: one report of the cable assembly releasing, with injuries to the knee, wrist and hip
The same CPSC guide reports that 41 treestand-related deaths were reported to CPSC from 2005 through 2007. For the same three years, CPSC staff estimates about 19,000 treestand-related injuries.
In 2006, CPSC’s treestand page said the majority of injuries and deaths resulted from hunters falling out of treestands while not wearing a safety harness.
Recall and Regulatory Background
In 2008, Ardisam agreed to pay a $420,000 civil penalty to settle a government lawsuit. The suit alleged late reports of serious injuries with its Big Foot and Lite Foot tree stands [9]. Ardisam denied the allegations.
No MDL covers treestand recalls or injuries, according to the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation [10]. Brand detail is on the Big Game treestand recall and X-Stand treestand claims pages.
Evidence to Preserve
A hunter hurt in a treestand fall can protect the facts by keeping the physical and paper records tied to the fall. Useful items include:
- The treestand itself, unrepaired and not discarded
- The model, serial and batch numbers on the stand
- The receipt or card statement showing the purchase
- Photographs of the stand, the cables, the welds and the fall site
- The harness you wore at the time of the fall
- Medical records and bills for the injuries
- Names of any witnesses to the fall
- Any recall notice or company messages about the stand
Filing Deadlines
Filing deadlines for a treestand injury claim come from state law. They depend on where the injury happened, where you live and when the fall occurred.
Some states count from the injury itself. Others start the clock when the harm was discovered, which can be later than the fall.
A missed deadline can end a treestand claim, even one with strong facts. Speak with a lawyer promptly about the dates that apply to your fall.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You File a Treestand Lawsuit After a Fall?
Filing a treestand lawsuit after a fall would be an individual product liability claim, because a recall does not decide who is liable. Each claim depends on its own facts, including the stand, the fall and the injuries.
Who Do I Contact About a Recalled Treestand?
To contact someone about a recalled treestand, call the maker named in the notice. Summit is 844-940-2688, Big Game is 877-343-8211, Alliance Outdoor Products is 877-886-2241 and DICK’S is 877-846-9997. You can also reach the CPSC hotline at 800-638-2772 or report at SaferProducts.gov.
What Harness Does CPSC Recommend for Treestand Hunting?
CPSC recommends a TMA-approved full-body harness used per the manufacturer’s instructions. It warns that single-strap or waist-type harnesses can cause strangulation in a fall. Wear the harness during ascent and descent, inspect the stand and harness before each use, and replace the harness after any fall.
Can a Hunter in a Full-Body Harness Still Be Hurt in a Fall?
A hunter in a full-body harness can still be hurt in a fall. In 2006 CPSC said that since 2001 there had been at least four reported cases. Hunters in full body harnesses were killed, injured or left dangling because they could not self-rescue.
What Do DICK’S Customers Get Back on a Recalled Tree Stand?
DICK’S customers with a receipt get a full refund on a recalled tree stand. Without a receipt, the store gives store credit. Returns go to the nearest DICK’S store, where the receipt decides which of the two remedies applies.