Perfect Fitness to Pay $425,000 For Failing to Report Fall Injury Hazard

Perfect Fitness has been ordered to pay a $425,000 civil penalty for knowingly failing to report to the CPSC a product defect in reference to the Perfect Pullup exercise equipment. The penalty satisfies staff allegations that Pefect Fitness knowingly failed to report the defect; the product could break during use resulting in a fall hazard.

Perfect Fitness determined in June 2008 that the equipment was defective following re-testing of the handle design. The testing was done after the company received complaints and an unusual number of product returns. Perfect Fitness redesigned the product to correct the defect in July 2008.

However, the CPSC says that Perfect Fitness was aware of at least 23 injuries associated with the product in March 2010. The company posted a notice on its website to let the customers know about a free product replacement. The firm did not report the defect to the CPSC until December 2010. By this time, the company was aware of at least 45 complaints of injury.