Little Giant Articulating Ladder Lawsuit Alleges Collapse Resulted in Hip, Elbow Fractures

Lawsuit claims Little Giant ladder contained a defective lock tab design that could create a false-lock condition, allowing the device to suddenly collapse.

A Connecticut man has filed a lawsuit alleging he suffered serious injuries when his Little Giant adjustable ladder collapsed during regular use.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by Richard Jennings in Connecticut Superior Court on May 12, naming Little Giant Ladder Systems LLC as the sole defendant. It was removed to the U.S. District Court of Connecticut on June 8.

Jennings claims the subject ladder’s lock tab design can create a dangerous “false lock” condition that allows the device to collapse unexpectedly.

Little Giant Ladders are a popular brand of ladder that adjust so they can be used in different positions, such as an extension ladder, step ladder or for scaffolding support. The ladders feature a locking pin design intended to secure the adjustable sections in place. However, if the pins or tabs fail, users can fall and suffer serious injuries.

Ladder Collapse Recalls and Lawsuits

Little Giant has faced prior safety concerns involving the same type of ladder components. In March 2017, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced a Little Giant recall of about 37,000 multipurpose ladders after reports that the locking pins and rung fasteners could malfunction, creating a fall hazard for consumers.

In recent months, a number of complaints have been filed against Little Giant, alleging the company’s ladders contain defective designs that can cause them to fail during normal use. One lawsuit filed late last year alleged the locking pins failed while a Connecticut man was using the ladder, causing him to fall 10 feet and suffer a brain bleed, skull fracture and other serious injuries.

Other major ladder manufacturers have faced similar claims. In April, a Massachusetts man filed a lawsuit against Louisville Ladder and Home Depot after he fell more than 15 feet and suffered spinal injuries and nerve damage. Another complaint filed against Werner Ladders alleged a design defect caused one of the company’s extension ladder to collapse while a Missouri man was on it, resulting in fractures that required surgery.

Little Giant Design Defect Allegations

Jennings’ complaint indicates he purchased the Little Giant Model 17 ladder from Home Depot in 2017. Like other products from the manufacturer, these devices can be used in different configurations.

The ladder was being used as an extension ladder by Jennings on July 13, 2024, when the lock system suddenly malfunctioned and he fell to the ground, resulting in a fracture to his right hip and right elbow. Jennings required immediate medical treatment and suffered emotional distress.

According to the lawsuit, the Little Giant ladder suffers from a defective lock tab that creates a false lock on the ladder. This design defect may allegedly cause the ladder to collapse during use.

The complaint states that the design of the ladder is dangerous and cannot be used without unreasonable risk of injury to users. Moreover, Jennings argues that Little Giant failed to warn consumers about the danger or to lower the load limit on the ladder to prevent a collapse.

As a result, he says the company misrepresented the safety of the product to the public and failed to properly test the products prior to marketing them.

“The defendant is liable and legally responsible to the plaintiff for the plaintiffs injuries. . . in that the defendant was negligent in failing to properly and adequately test said product prior to marketing it; in that the defendant designed said product in a defective manner; in that the defendant knew or should have known of the dangerous characteristics of said product yet continued its manufacture and distribution; and/or in that the defendant used improper materials in the construction of said product.”

— Brian Jennings v. Little Giant Ladder Systems LLC

The lawsuit raises allegations of violations of certain Connecticut General Statutes, citing defective and dangerous product design, failure to warn, failure to disclose the danger, negligence, breach of merchantability and breach of express warranty. It seeks monetary damages and compensation for past and future medical care, pain and loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of income.

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