A federal judge granted a default judgment a and permanent injunction (pdf) ordering Brooklyn Sleep Products Inc., of Brooklyn, N.Y., and its president Francisco Chavez, to stop manufacturing, importing, renovating and selling mattresses until they provide evidence that their mattresses comply with federal flammability laws.
Additionally, United States District Judge Roslynn R. Mauskopf of the Eastern District of New York ordered Brooklyn Sleep Products and Chavez to recall all mattresses, mattress sets or mattress pads sold to consumers that failed federal flammability tests. If the firm fails to comply with the judge's order, it can face fines of $1,000 per day.
The judgment is a victory for the safety of consumers and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which filed suit against Brooklyn Sleep Products and Chavez after discovering that the firm was selling mattresses that did not comply with the the Flammable Fabrics Act (FFA) and the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA). The firm committed violations even after it had been preliminarily enjoined from selling violative mattresses.
In 2008, CPSC conducted inspections and collected mattress samples at Brooklyn Sleep Products' facility in Brooklyn, N.Y., and at retail stores selling the firm's mattresses in Fall River, Mass., and Providence, R.I. CPSC collected a non-compliant mattress made by Brooklyn Sleep products at a Newark N.J. store in 2010. The mattresses failed flammability tests conducted by CPSC for open flames.
Chavez admitted to CPSC inspectors that neither he nor Brooklyn Sleep Products tested their mattresses and mattress sets as required by law.
Chavez failed to respond to numerous court filings against him.
In September 2008, January 2009 and again in March 2010, CPSC requested that Brooklyn Sleep Products stop selling and distributing mattresses that failed comply with federal laws. But the firm continued to manufacture, renovate, sell, offer for sale and introduce into commerce mattresses in violation of the federal mattress flammability requirements putting consumers at risk.
Mattresses and mattress sets sold in the United States are required to comply with federal mattress flammability requirements including for open flame and for cigarette ignition. CPSC estimates there was an annual average of more than 300 deaths associated with mattress fires from 2006 through 2008. The intent of the mandatory standards is to slow the spread of a mattress fire to give consumers more escape time.
The U.S. Attorneys Office in the Eastern District of New York and the Office of Consumer Protection Litigation in the Justice Department prosecuted the case on behalf of CPSC.
La Comisión de Seguridad de Productos del Consumidor de EE.UU. (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, CPSC) está encargada de proteger al público contra riesgos irrazonables de lesión o muerte asociados al uso de miles de tipos de productos de consumo bajo la jurisdicción de la institución. Muertes, lesiones y daños a la propiedad asociados a incidentes con productos de consumo le cuestan al país más de $900,000 millones anualmente. La CPSC está comprometida con proteger a los consumidores y las familias contra los productos que presenten un peligro de incendio, eléctrico, químico o mecánico. Los esfuerzos de la CPSC para asegurar que los productos de consumo —tales como juguetes, cunas, herramientas eléctricas, encendedores de cigarrillos y productos químicos para uso doméstico— sean seguros, contribuyeron a la disminución en el índice de muertes y lesiones relacionadas con productos de consumo en los últimos 30 años.
La ley federal prohíbe que cualquier persona venda productos sujetos a un retiro del mercado anunciado públicamente y llevado a cabo por el fabricante; o a una orden de la Comisión obligatoria.
Para reportar un producto peligroso o una lesión relacionada con un producto, visite SaferProducts.gov (en inglés) o llame a la línea de información de la CPSC al (800) 638-2772 o al teletipo (800) 638-8270 para discapacitados auditivos. Los consumidores pueden obtener información sobre noticias y retiros en www.cpsc.gov/espanol, vía Twitter @OnSafety o suscribiéndose para recibir los boletines electrónicos gratuitos de la CPSC.