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On August 6, 2026, Louisville Ladder, Inc. of Louisville, Kentucky announced a voluntary recall of attic stairway ladders with gas struts in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) [1]. The recall encompasses four brands manufactured by Louisville Ladder — Louisville, Featherlite, Lite, and Century — and covers approximately 1,770,000 units in the United States plus 13,054 in Canada.
The Bolt That Breaks Without Warning
The specific failure mechanism in the recalled ladders is a ¼-inch spreader bolt — a small but structurally critical component that braces the ladder frame when the ladder is extended and in use. When this bolt fractures, it does so abruptly, with no advance sign that the ladder is about to fail.
A person descending from or ascending to an attic on a ladder deployed at heights ranging from 7 feet 8 inches to 12 feet has little to no time to react to a sudden structural failure. The recall remedy itself — two replacement spreader bolts with washers and lock nuts — confirms that this small hardware component is the single point of failure responsible for the entire 1.77 million unit recall.
Are Your Lite or Century Ladder Included?
Only Lite and Century attic stairway ladders with gas struts are included in this recall — not all products sold under these names. The recalled ladders are aluminum or wood frame folding attic stairways with handrails, sold in frame widths of 22.5, 25.5, and 30.0 inches and frame lengths of 54 and 60 inches, for ceiling heights from 7 feet 8 inches up to 12 feet.
To confirm whether a specific unit is recalled, homeowners should open the attic door and check the label on the inside of the door for the brand name and model number. The recalled ladders were sold at Home Depot, Lowe’s, Do It Best, Orgill, Amazon.com, and other retailers from November 2012 through July 2026 for between $170 and $600.
Incidents and Injuries
Louisville Ladder has received 11 reports of spreader bolts breaking across all recalled brands. One consumer suffered neck, head, and back injuries as a result of a bolt failure during use.
The Long Sales Window
The recalled ladders were sold for nearly 14 years — from November 2012 through July 2026. That means a Lite or Century attic ladder purchased more than a decade ago and used regularly since then may have the same defective spreader bolt that caused a consumer to be injured in 2026.
Homeowners who purchased these products years ago and no longer have their original receipt or packaging can still confirm whether their unit is recalled by checking the model number on the inside of the attic door and registering at Atticstairwayrecall.expertinquiry.com.
What Should Homeowners Do?
Homeowners with a recalled Lite or Century attic stairway ladder should stop using it immediately — do not use the ladder again until the free repair has been completed. Louisville Ladder is providing a free repair kit containing two replacement ¼-inch spreader bolts, washers, lock nuts, and installation instructions to all registered consumers.
To register, consumers should visit Atticstairwayrecall.expertinquiry.com with the model number from the inside of the attic door. Consumers may also call Louisville Ladder toll-free at 888-679-5132, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, or visit www.louisvilleladder.com and click on “Urgent Recall Notice.”
Can I File a Lawsuit?
Homeowners injured when a Lite or Century attic stairway ladder collapsed due to a broken spreader bolt may have significant legal options against Louisville Ladder and the retailers that sold the product. Contact an attorney promptly to have your case evaluated.
References
1. https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2026/Louisville-Ladder-Recalls-Over-One-Million-Attic-Stairway-Ladders-Due-to-Risk-of-Serious-Injury-or-Death-from-Fall-Hazard