Two Smith Press weight-lifting equipment models that were manufactured and distributed for nearly 30 years were recalled because the weight bar can fall and cause serious injury to the user including paralysis.
Manufactured by Minnesota-based company Cybex, the Smith Press (aka Smith Machine) is a plate-loaded weight-lifting device primarily used in fitness centers. It has a weight bar that rests between two vertical tracks on latch pins. It can be moved up and down for users to perform upper and lower body exercises. Weights for the equipment were sold separately.
The problem with the equipment is the weight bar can unexpectedly fall, putting the user at risk of serious injury, especially with any added weights attached to the system.
Cybex has received 27 reports of injuries that include paralysis and spinal fracture but there may be more.
The company announced that it recalled nearly 15,000 units of the equipment and will be contacting users to notify them of the recall. No further details were released by the CPSC spokeswoman Elizabeth Klinefelter about injuries, nor which facilities may still carry the recalled equipment.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall of two model numbers on August 29, 2018.
Model 5340 was distributed and manufactured between 1989 and 1993, while model 5341 was manufactured and distributed between 1993 and 2009. The model number can be found at the base of the frame.
See the pictures below for an image of the recalled Cybex Smith Press/Cybex Smith Machine.
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If you or a loved one have been injured from one of the recalled Cybex Smith Press models, you should contact our product liability lawyers as soon as possible. Compensation may be available to you by filing a lawsuit against the manufacturer of the recalled weight-lifting equipment.
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