Generac Generator Recall Lawsuit: The Finger-Amputation Hazard

The Finger-Amputation Hazard

In 2021, Generac recalled about 300,000 of its 6500- and 8000-watt portable generators because an unlocked handle could pinch and crush a user’s fingers against the frame when moving the unit — causing partial finger amputations and crush injuries. Portable generators are often hauled out during storms and outages, so a handle that can amputate a finger is a serious, foreseeable hazard.

Reports of finger injuries reached the company beginning in 2018, and after the recall regulators counted dozens more injuries, including two dozen amputations.

The Penalty and Fire Expansion

In 2023, Generac agreed to a $15.8 million civil penalty from the Consumer Product Safety Commission for failing to report the finger-amputation hazard immediately, as the law requires — a delay that let more people be exposed. Separately, in 2023 the recall was expanded to additional units for a different reason: a fuel-tank venting defect that could build pressure and expel fuel, posing fire and burn risks, after several severe burn injuries.

So Generac faced two distinct hazards — amputation and fire — and a penalty for how slowly it disclosed the first.

What Owners Should Know

If you own a recalled Generac generator, get the free repair kit and follow the recall instructions before using it — both the handle and fuel-tank hazards are serious. Anyone injured should keep the generator, its model and serial number, and medical records for a product-liability claim. Check current recall notices for your specific model.