Sunbeam Products Inc. and American Household Inc.

A class action lawsuit has been filed against Sunbeam Products Inc. and its parent company, American Household Inc., on behalf of customers who have possessed the company's heating blankets and pads without notice of alleged defects prior to Dec. 18, 2002. The suit claims that since 1988, Sunbeam has been creating defective heating blankets and pads which are prone to either fail or ignite fires. The suit further charges that company with fraud and neglecting to warn customers of the defects.