Plaintiff Attorneys Attempt To Revive Suit Against Point Blank Self-Suspending Ballistic System Shoulder Straps

POMPANO BEACH, Fla., Jan. 07, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Point Blank Enterprises, Inc. (“Point Blank”) announced today that the same plaintiffs (and same attorneys) whose class action complaint against Point Blank was dismissed on October 29, 2018 filed a new putative class action complaint against Point Blank in the Southern District of Florida, based upon the same core allegations and claims as their previously‐dismissed complaint. The new complaint again alleges that the hook‐and‐loop material in the Self‐Suspending Ballistic System (“SSBS”) feature of concealable Point Blank vests wears out over time with use. Plaintiffs do not assert that the ballistic panels contained in Point Blank vests are defective or do not perform according to National Institute of Justice standards. Nor do plaintiffs allege that any wearer of Point Blank vests has been injured, and, in fact, Point Blank concealable vests with the SSBS feature have saved the lives of many officers over the past decade. Notwithstanding the prior denial of class certification and dismissal, plaintiffs again seek to certify a nationwide class of purchasers of certain model concealable vests with the SSBS feature. As with the previously‐dismissed complaint, Point Blank continues to dispute plaintiffs’ allegations and claims, and stands by the quality and integrity of its products. Point Blank will vigorously defend itself against the lawsuit and believes that this complaint, like the prior one, will be dismissed and any effort by plaintiffs to certify any type of class here will again be denied. The Company notes that like the prior case, no law enforcement agencies are named plaintiffs in the action, and that the five individual named plaintiffs are all members of the Ohio State Troopers Association and represented by the same legal counsel again. The Company has retained outside counsel on the matter through the law firms of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, and Berger Singerman LLP.

Point Blank has provided millions of vests to the U.S. military and U.S. law enforcement and no officer has been injured as a result of the manufacturing and/or design defect the plaintiffs allege, and in fact many officers’ lives have been saved. Over 100 law enforcement officers’ lives have been saved since 2012 and many more as a result of wearing Point Blank Body Armor over the past 45‐years. Point Blank Body Armor is the most popular body armor worn by Officers in America today with the largest agencies in the country today using Point Blank Body Armor as the personal protection of choice. Point Blank body armor with SSBS has been the model of choice for American law enforcement over the past 10‐years. Executive Vice President, Hoyt Schmidt, stated, “We have been committed to the law enforcement community for more than 45 years, offering vast experience and expertise in saving and protecting the lives of law enforcement officers, corrections officers, and first responders. Point Blank provides high performance and quality body armor products in many different models and styles. The ruling reaffirms Point Blank’s position that the SSBS is a safe shoulder strapping system for its ballistic vests, and underscores just one more reason why Point Blank Body Armor is preferred by the majority of law enforcement users. We stand behind the performance, the durability and the safety of those products, and we appreciate and value our end‐users as they protect and defend the United States and our communities. Point Blank is committed to customer service, and has a process in place for reviewing customer complaints and warranty claims regarding Point Blank products and working directly with its customers to resolve any issues in a timely manner. We appreciate your continued support of Point Blank products and remain dedicated to customer satisfaction.”

About Point Blank Enterprises, Inc.
Point Blank Enterprises, Inc. is a leading provider of high performance protective solutions, including bullet, fragmentation and stab resistant apparel and related accessories. Through its key brands, Point Blank Body Armor, Protective Apparel Corporation of America (PACA), Protective Products, PARACLETE®, The Protective Group (TPG), Advanced Technology Group (ATG), and First Tactical, the Company ranks as the largest global supplier of ballistic armor systems in the world. The Company’s ballistic solutions have been credited with saving countless lives for the most important customers in the world, including the U.S. Armed Forces, Department of Defense, Federal Government and law enforcement, corrections and security personnel, both domestically and abroad. For more information on our Company, please visit our website at www.pointblankenterprises.com.

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