HARRISBURG, Pa., July 28 (UPI) -- The nation's largest maker of bulletproof vests has been sued by the state of Pennsylvania for allegedly hiding information about flaws in the vests.
With a lawsuit filed Tuesday by Pennsylvania Attorney General Jerry Pappert in Commonwealth Court, Second Change Body Armor, Inc., of Central Lake, Mich., has been named in court actions in six states, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.
The Pennsylvania suit, claiming violations of consumer protection laws, seeks reimbursements for police departments that have bought the vests from Second Chance. Pappert said Second Chance has sold more than 7,200 of the vests for an estimated $5 million in Pennsylvania.
Pappert claims that Second Chance was aware of problems with its vests that use a fiber called Zylon. Part of the lawsuit includes a documents in which a Second Chance executive was advised that the vests could have degradation problems.
Pappert cited the shooting of Forest Hills, Pa., officer Edward Limbacher, who was wounded in June 2003 when a bullet penetrated the vest he was wearing, the Post-Gazette said.
