The Recall Desk
HighCPSC·88041·Announced 1988-06-15

Maxton Cox Furniture Recalls Wooden Convertible Ladder Chairs

Maxton/Cox Furniture is recalling wooden convertible ladder chairs sold by Swiss Colony, J.C. Penney, and Spiegel due to structural defects causing falls and injuries.

What this means for you

Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a risk-of-harm product with reported injuries (broken elbow, cuts, bruises) but no reported fatalities or hospitalizations, fitting the 'High' severity criteria for injury reports without critical outcomes.

Plain-English summary

Maxton Industries/Cox Furniture, Inc. is voluntarily recalling approximately 4,500 wooden convertible ladder chairs in conjunction with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The products were sold nationwide through the catalogs of Swiss Colony, J.C. Penney, and Spiegel between October 1984 and July 1987. The recall involves specific catalog reference numbers: Spiegel #N7910 7376T, Swiss Colony #3047, and J.C. Penney #783-2736.

The Commission is aware of 24 incidents where the ladder steps split or hinges pulled away from the wood, causing users to fall or stumble. These incidents resulted in 13 injuries, including a broken elbow, cuts, and bruises. Additionally, the product's inherent instability, step placement, and structural design can cause users to lose balance and fall while climbing.

Consumers should remove these ladder chairs from use immediately. They should return the items by mail or in person to the retailer where purchased for a refund. Consumers will be reimbursed for mailing costs in addition to the retail price of the item. For further information, consumers can call Maxton Industries/Cox Furniture, Inc. collect at 1-919-844-3501.

The recalled product

Product
Cox wooden convertible ladder/chair
Manufacturer
Swiss Colony
Category
Consumer Product — Furniture
Hazard

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

Related recalls

Same hazard · fall

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