Product Liability Law Blog

With cold weather continuing to affect many parts of the US, people have been using their gas fireplaces to keep everyone indoors warm. Yet are the doors of some of these gas fireplaces poorly designed so that they pose a burn danger to kids?

According to the Children’s Hospital Burn Center, in the last five years, the number of hand burns caused by fireplace glass doors has gone up by 50% with an average of 2-3 burn victims coming in each week for treatment. One reason for this is that there are a lot of gas fireplace doors that lack protective screens.

It takes just six minutes for a fireplace door’s temperature to hit 200 degrees. The glass door may keep kids away from the fire, but they may still subject to second- and third- degree burns from coming into physical contact with the heat emanating from an extremely hot door.

Over the holiday season, one young boy sustained white blisters on his hands when he placed them on the glass doors of a fireplace. Following the Colorado burn accident, the boy was rushed to the hospital for treatment. Luckily, his injuries did not require skin grafting.

Burn Injuries
Burn injuries can be very painful and traumatic. Second-degree burns can affect both the dermis and the epidermis. Symptoms of a second-degree burn include swelling, redness, peeling skin, blisters, pain, charred skin, peeling skin, and shock. Immediate treatment is imperative, or a second-degree burn can become a third-degree burn. Third-degree burns affect both the external and internal skin layers. They can lead to scar injuries.

Manufacturers must make sure that any products they design are not dangerous for use and if there is an inherent hazard, then they must providing a warning label cautioning against how to prevent injury or death. Otherwise, the victim and his/her family can file a products liability lawsuit suing for personal injury damages. Young children are especially prone to injuries caused by hazardous or dangerous products.

If your child sustained a burn injury from coming into contact with a fireplace glass door, we invite you to contact our products liability law firm and ask to speak with one of our child injury lawyers immediately.

If you are using a gas fireplace with a glass door, the Children’s Hospital recommends that you:

• Place a screen or gate around the fireplace to block kids from touching the door.
• Watch your kids when they are near the fireplace.
• Remember that it takes a gas fireplace about 45 minutes to cool down completely after it has been shut off.

Cozy gas fireplace? Don't let it be a burn hazard, Denver Post, February 13, 2010

Gas Fireplace Glass Door Burn Prevention, Children'sHospital.org

Related Web Resources:
Burns, Medline Plus

Burns, KidsHealth.org

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Posted In: Burn , Burn Injuries , Colorado , Furniture and Accessories , Household Appliances , Injuries to Children & Minors , States

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A tragic treadmill accident this week claimed the life of former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson’s 4-year-old daughter Exodus On Monday, her 7-year-old brother found her with the cord that hangs from a treadmill console wrapped around her neck. Following the strangulation accident, Exodus's mother tried to revive her with CPR while waiting for the paramedics to arrive at their home. The girl was then taken to a local hospital where she was placed on life support. Exodus died on Tuesday morning.

Treadmill Accidents
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that every year, at least 2,600 kids are hurt in treadmill accidents end up in US emergency rooms. In Philadelphia alone, 12 children were injured in treadmill accidents in 2001—six of those injuries involved kids getting their hands stuck in the exercise machine’s belt. Their injuries were serious enough to require plastic surgery so they could open up their hands.

There also have been reports that hard edges, moving parts, and the programmed speeds of a treadmill can cause unexpected injuries to people. Researchers say that modifying treadmill designs, such as making the exercise machine harder to start and easier to stop, could prevent some of these accidents from happening.

The CPSC says that the treadmill is not the only kind of exercise equipment that has been known to cause injury to kids. Also:

• About 25,000 children under the age of 14 are injured on exercise equipment every year.
• Some 8,700 of these accidents involve kids younger than 5.
• Stationary bikes and stair climbers are two other kinds of exercise equipment that have been known to cause injuries to children.
• Amputations and fractures make up 20% of injuries to minors caused by exercise equipment.

While there are safety precautions that parents can take to protect their kids from getting hurt on a treadmill or another kind of exercise equipment, it is still up to the equipment manufacturer to make sure that their products do not have any design defects or manufacturing flaws that could cause cause injury or death if the equipment malfunctions. Warning of any potential hazards that may arise must be included with the product when it is delivered to the consumer.

Tyson's Tragedy Shows Treadmill Danger, ABC News, May 27, 2009

Kids and treadmills: a bad combination, TampaBay.com, May 28, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Exercise (And Children On Exercise Machines), UAB Health Systems

CPSC

Continue reading "Treadmill Accident: Mike Tyson’s Daughter Dies After Her Neck Gets Caught in Exercise Machine Cord " »

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Posted In: Furniture and Accessories , Household Appliances , Injuries to Children & Minors

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In the last four days, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced the recalls of four products due to concerns that they could pose an electrical or fire hazard to users. Products that are part of the recalls include:

Approximately 13,000 Ritchie immersion heaters: The reason for the recall is that there is a possibility the heater could crack, exposing the heating element in the heater to water. If this happens, someone who comes in contact with the heater could experience electric shock. To date, there have been 44 reports of heater covers cracking. Fortunately, no one has been injured so far. With the cold weather expected to last in many parts of the United States for at least several more weeks, however, now is a good time to return these heaters and get them replaced.

Holiday Ultra-Brite Lights distributed by Universal Distribution Center: Some 52,000 products are part of this recall. A defect involving undersized wires could cause the light sockets to become exposed if the wires separate from the plugs. The CPSC is concerned that this product may pose a fire or electric shock hazard to users.

All-Clad 4-Square Belgian Waffle Makers, distributed by All-Clad Metalcrafters LLC: The waffle maker’s wiring is easily damaged and could pose a shock or fire hazard if someone were to come in contact with the waffle maker’s metal parts. Already there have been 20 reports of the waffle makers giving out sparks. No injuries have been reported so far. These waffles are sold only through Williams-Sonoma.

Approximately 430 Tealight Candleholders, which are sold at Seventh Avenue and distributed by Berkeley Designs: The CPSC says the resin accents on the candleholder’s sides could ignite and cause a fire. While no injuries have been reported, there is one report of a candleholder catching fire.

Defective Household Products
While household products and furniture items may seem like useful and generally harmless items to have in your home and around your children, there are those products that are defectively made or end up malfunctioning that could pose a serious physical threat or health risk to you and your family. Dangerous electrical appliances, such as defective microwaves, washing machines, stereos, coffee makers, dishwashers, heaters, refrigerators, and other products that require the use of electricity can turn into dangerous products that leave you vulnerable to electrocution injuries, electrical burns, burn injuries, or death. A small fire caused by a defective electrical appliance or another item requiring the use of flames could rapidly turn into a devastating blaze that could destroy not just your home but the lives of those you love.

The manufacturers of household products and other consumer goods must be held accountable if a defective or malfunctioning product causes an injury or death. Filing a products liability lawsuit is one way to hold the negligent party liable.

Ritchie Immersion Heaters Recalled By Springfield Wire Due to Shock Hazard, CPSC, March 4, 2009

Holiday Lights Recalled by Universal Distribution Center Due to Shock and Fire Hazard, CPSC, March 4, 2009

All-Clad Recalls 4-Square Belgian Waffle Makers Due to Shock Hazard; Sold Exclusively at Williams-Sonoma, CPSC, March 4, 2009

Seventh Avenue Recalls Tealight Candleholders Due to Fire Hazard, CPSC, March 3, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Protect yourself and your home from electrical hazards

Electrical Safety, CDC

Burn Survivor Resource Center

Continue reading "Burn and Electrocution Injuries Are Reasons for Latest CPSC Recalls of Heaters, Holiday Lights, Waffle Makers, and Tealight Candleholders" »

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Posted In: Burn Injuries , Electrical Product Defects , Furniture and Accessories , Household Appliances

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