Product Liability Law Blog

According to a study published in the journal Pediatrics, the cartoon SpongeBob SquarePants may cause 4-year-old to develop short-term attention and learning difficulties. The findings come from an observation of 60 children assigned at random to watch "SpongeBob," the carton "Caillou," or draw pictures for nine minutes. Kids were tested for their mental functions after this. The ones that had been assigned to watch "SpongeBob" performed the worst, scoring on average about 12 points less than the other children. The kids in the other group received nearly the same scores. Also, When tested for impulsiveness and self-control, the kids who watched "Sponge Bob" that were shown snacks were only able to wait about 2 ½ minutes before eating them while the other kids were able to wait about four minutes.

Researchers say that considering that cartoons usually run about 22 minutes, if watching SpongeBob is impairing children's attention then watching the entire show could prove "more detrimental." They did, however, say that more evidence is required to verify these concerns.

In response to the study, Nickelodeon spokesperson David Bittler noted that "SpongeBob" is geared toward kids in the 6-11 age group and not 4 year olds. The lead author of the study, University of Virginia psychology professor Angeline Lillard, however, said that kids age 4 were selected because this is the age group when the most development occurs.

Lillard, says that "SpongeBob" isn't the only program that could be cause for parental concern. She reported similar problems with children that watched other cartoons that were fast-paced. She is advising that kids not be allowed to watch these shows whenever they are supposed to learn or pay attention.

It was just four years ago that a study, also published in the Journal of Pediatrics, raised concerns that for every hour of the day that kids in the 8-16 month age group watched educational "Baby Einstein" videos, they ended up with 6-8 less words in their vocabulary than other children the same age. This finding is obviously not what parents who let their kids watch these videos want for them. Also, Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development director Dr. Dimitri Christakis at the University of Washington in Seattle has said that bombarding a child's brain, which is still developing, with too much stimulation can affect his/her ability to learn how to focus correctly.

Child Injuries and Kids' Products
Do you believe that your son or daughter suffered physical, emotional, or mental injuries because a product proved defective or dangerous? Unfortunately, there are many products still out in the market that can hurt kids even though these products are supposed to be made for children.

Our products liability law firm knows how upsetting it can be to find out that you've inadvertently exposed your child to a danger that caused them to get hurt. We help families throughout the US recover child injury compensation from negligent manufacturers, sellers, and distributors.

SpongeBob study: Do fast-paced cartoons impair kids' thinking?, Christian Science Monitor, September 12, 2011

Study: Some cartoons are bad for children's brains, CNN, September 12, 2011

Study faults 'Einstein' videos for infants, Boston.com, August 8, 2007

Related Web Resources:
Pediatrics

Sponge Bob

Baby Einstein

More Blog Posts:
New Crib Safety Standards Go Into Effect Today, Product Liability Law Blog, June 28, 2011

Texas Playground Accident Lawsuit Seeks Damages from McDonald's Chain Owners, Product Liability Law Blog, July 29, 2011

Crib Bumpers: Are They Safe for Babies?, Product Liability Law Blog, April 30, 2011

The new federal rules updating the nation's crib safety standards are now in effect. Under the new rules, which the US Consumer Product Safety Commission established:

• Drop-side cribs can no longer be manufactured or sold. With at least 32 infants dying from strangulation or suffocation while in a drop-side crib, these child sleepers have proven too dangerous to use let alone make or sell.
• Slat strength and mattress support must meet tougher standards.
• Crib hardware must be more durable
• Safety testing has to be more rigorous

Any company that sells or makes cribs must meet the new standards beginning today. Crib rental companies, day care centers, and hotels, however, have until December 28, 2012 to be in compliance. Unfortunately, just because the new rules are in effect doesn't mean that there won't be children who may get hurt because of existing cribs with defects. If this does happen, you should speak with an experienced products liability law firm immediately.

Some crib hazards that have given cause for concern:

• Drop-sides detaching or dropping without warning


• Too big of an opening created between the side of a crib and the mattress


• Crib slats coming loose

This is the first time in almost three decades that the US government has updated its crib safety standards. The decision to make this change follows the recalls of some 11 million cribs since 2007 that posed strangulation, suffocation, entrapment, and/or fall hazards to infants and toddlers. Even the big manufacturers, such as Delta, Simplicity, and Evenflo have recalled cribs.

As a parent or guardian, there are proactive steps you can take to make sure that a crib is safe:

• Check the crib to make sure there are no parts missing or loose.


• Make sure that the mattress fits the crib correctly.


• If you are staying at a hotel or leaving your child at day care check to make sure that the cribs they use are not drop-side cribs or ones that have other crib defects.

Crib safety standards expanded, Crib Safety Standards, June 28, 2011

Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008

More Blog Posts:
Toddler's Parents File Massachusetts Crib Defect Lawsuit Seeking Wrongful Death Damages, Product Liability Law Blog, January 14, 2011

CPSC Bans Drop-Side Cribs and Approves New Crib Safety Standards, Product Liability Law Blog, December 18, 2010

22,000 Dream on Me Drop-Side Cribs Recalled Because They Pose Laceration, Entrapment, Suffocation, and Fall Hazards, Product Liability Law Blog, May 24, 2011

Continue reading "New Crib Safety Standards Go Into Effect Today" »

The Consumer Product Safety Commission and importer Dream on Me are recalling about 22,000 drop-side cribs because of the dangers they pose to young children. The portable and full-size cribs reportedly may have defects that could cause suffocation, entrapment, laceration, and fall injuries.

The CPSC and Dream on Me know of 69 reports of incidents caused by crib defects or a crib malfunctioning. One infant, 8-months, sustained a minor injury from the exposed plastic hardware inside one of the portable cribs. Another child, age 1, sustained a scratch to his nose when he got stuck between another portable crib's side rail and mattress support.

The full-size cribs are made with hardware that could fail or break, which could cause its drop side to detach. If this happens, a child might fall out of the crib or get caught between the mattress and the drop side rail, resulting in an entrapment accident that could lead to suffocation, traumatic brain injury, or death. Meantime, the portable crib's drop side rail might also detach because its hardware, as well as the material that makes up the the drop side's release latch, and crib mattress support are not durable enough to prevent easy breakage. Also, in the event that the crib slats were to detach, break, or become loose, a child could sustain a cut injury from the exposed hardware.

The full-size Dream on Me cribs that are being recalled were made between January 2006 and December 2009. The portable cribs were manufactured between August 2007 and February 2009.

Our child injury lawyers are fierce advocates for families whose children have gotten hurt because of a crib defect. Over the years, we've watched as manufacturers have recalled millions of cribs because of the hazards they pose to kids. It is unacceptable a crib to be dangerous for use. Fortunately, the US government's ban on drop-side cribs, which goes into effect next month, will prevent many more hazardous cribs from being made. That said, there are many drop-side cribs that are still in use.

Dream on Me Recalls Drop-Side Cribs Due to Entrapment, Suffocation, Laceration, and Fall Hazards, CPSC, May 24, 2011

Product recall: some 22,000 Dream on Me drop-side cribs recalled, The Washington Post, May 24, 2011

CPSC's ban on drop-side cribs takes effect in June, USA Today, June 16, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Dream on Me

What Are The Safety Issues With Drop-Side Cribs?

More Blog Posts:
CPSC Bans Drop-Side Cribs and Approves New Crib Safety Standards, Product Liability Law Blog, December 18, 2010

Colorado Infant Death Prompts CPSC to Re-Announce Recall of Delta Enterprise Drop-Side Crib Over Safety Peg Defect, Product Liability Law Blog, March 27, 2011

Toddler's Parents File Massachusetts Crib Defect Lawsuit Seeking Wrongful Death Damages, Product Liability Law Blog, January 14, 2011

Continue reading "22,000 Dream on Me Drop-Side Cribs Recalled Because They Pose Laceration, Entrapment, Suffocation, and Fall Hazards" »

Should you equip your child's crib with a bumper? According to USA Today, one mother, Laura Maxwell, intends to file a products liability lawsuit against a crib bumper manufacturer after Preston, her 7-week-old baby, died from asphyxiation when his face got caught between the mattress and crib bumper. Her son ended up against the bumper after rolling off a "sleep positioner," an accessory that is supposed to keep babies on their backs but has been linked to fatal suffocations. Maxwell and her husband also plan to sue the sleep positioner manufacturer for wrongful death.

While the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the American Academy of Pediatrics are urging parents to not use "puffy" bumpers, both groups have yet to say "don't" use them. Some consumer and child safety groups, however, believe that the CPSC should take a tougher stance. They say that crib bumpers—the puffier ones, in particular—pose a child suffocation hazard.

Yet the information available at this time as to whether or not crib bumpers are truly a safety hazard appears to be conflicting and unclear. The CPSC says that in the 28 infant deaths that it investigated where bumpers were present it couldn't say for sure that the bumper caused the deaths. However, a 2007 report in the Journal of Pediatrics found that 27 babies had died because of crib bumpers. Still others have said that the crib bumpers may prevent head injuries and leg fractures.

This latest debate, as well as the recent recalls involving drop-side cribs and other infant products, can't help but raise questions regarding whether or not manufacturers are doing enough to make sure that the products they are making for babies and toddlers are safe enough. Why are so many baby accessories and furniture turning out to be possible choking or suffocation hazards?

When a Cuddly Crib Puts the Baby in Danger, The Wall Street Journal, April 19, 2011

Crib bumpers present risk and little likely benefit, safety advocates say, USA Today, April 26, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Consumer Product Safety Commission

American Academy of Pediatrics

Juvenile Product Manufacturers Association

More Blog Posts:
Choking, Entrapment, Fall, and Suffocation Hazards Prompt CPSC's Latest Recalls Involving Children and Infant Products, Product Liability Law Blog, April 5, 2011

CPSC Bans Drop-Side Cribs and Approves New Crib Safety Standards, Product Liability Law Blog, December 18, 2010

CPSC Warns About Infant Sleep Positioners and Baby Monitor Cords Following Several Deaths, Product Liability Law Blog, November 11, 2010

Continue reading "Crib Bumpers: Are They Safe for Babies?" »

It's only the 5th of the month and already the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has recalled more than 140,000 products that pose a child injury risk. The first recall, issued voluntarily with Infantino LLC, involves approximately 40,500 Troy the Activity Trucks. The toy is a possible choking hazard.

The recall comes following 28 reports of the plastic beads detaching from the truck's bead runs. At least two young children have gagged on the beads. The toy should be taken away from the child immediately. Infantino will provide a free replacement toy to those who ask.

In the recall issued this morning, CPSC and Arm's Reach Concepts Inc. are recalling approximately 76,000 Infant Bed-Side Sleepers. The announcement about the sleepers comes following several reports of babies falling from the raised mattress onto the bottom of the sleeper or getting entrapped between the side of the sleeper and the edge of the mattress.

The sleeper can become a fall hazard if the fabric liner isn't securely attached or not in use because that's when the child is at risk of falling from the raised mattress. Should the baby get entrapped in the side of the sleeper, he/she could suffocate. CPSC wants consumers to stop download assembly instructions from the Arms Reach Web site and make sure that the sleeper is properly configured before allowing a child to use it again.

Also, today, the CPSC and Key Baby LLC recalled about 29,000 Pampers® Natural Stages Infant Ortho and Bulb Pacifiers. These pacifiers are a choking hazard to children. No injuries have been reported so far.

Entrapment, choking, falling, and suffocation are some of the more common causes of child injuries and deaths involving consumer products. Manufacturers are supposed to make sure that their products are free from any defects that could cause serious injuries—especially to infants and young children who usually don't know how to protect themselves from such hazards.

It is important that you speak with our child injury law firm and request your free consultation. You may have grounds for a products liability case against a negligent manufacturer, seller, or distributor.

Unfortunately sometimes a dangerous or defective product isn't recalled until after someone has already gotten hurt.

Toy Truck Recalled for Choking Hazard, Chesire Patch, April 4, 2011

Arm's Reach recalls infant bedside sleepers, ABC Local, April 5, 2011

Key Baby Pampers Natural Stages Infant Ortho and Bulb Stage 1 Pacifiers, Parenting.com, April 5, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Consumer Product Safety Commission

Product Hazards, Kids in Danger

Parenting

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Delta Enterprise Corp. are again announcing recall of over 985,000 drop-side cribs that come with "Crib Trigger Lock and Safety Peg" hardware. This re-announcement comes two months after the crib maker and CPSC learned that a baby girl, 7 months, died in a Colorado crib entrapment accident in 2009. The original recall was announced in October 2008.

The crib, which was bought secondhand, had been put together but without bottom track safety pegs. The baby suffocated after getting stuck between the crib mattress and its drop side, which had detached. The missing safety pegs contributed to the drop-side rail coming off its track.

The 2008 recall was issued after another infant, 8 months, died in a crib entrapment accident when the drop-side detached. That crib was also assembled without safety pegs. Missing pegs was also a factor in the 9 crib detachment and 2 entrapment incidents that had been reported.

It is important that a crib is properly assembled and all pieces are securely in place. Cribs should also be free of hardware defects that can cause dangerous malfunctions, such as when a drop-side becomes derailed, creating an opening between the mattress and the side of a crib that can lead to entrapment and, subsequently, suffocation, as well as other injuries. For example, if a child were to fall out of the crib because a drop-side had partially come off, he/she might sustain bruises, broken bones, cuts, or suffer a head injury.

Fortunately, the US government has now banned drop-side cribs in the US, which is linked to over 30 toddler and infant deaths over the last decade. Millions of drop-side cribs have had to be recalled because of the danger they pose to young kids. That said, there are still drop-side cribs that have already been bought or acquired secondhand that may cause injuries to children.

Our child injury lawyers are familiar with the crib defects that can cause serious injuries and we are not afraid to pursue recovery from a large manufacturer if their negligence played a role in causing the crib accident.

Second Infant Death Prompts Re-Announcement of Delta Enterprise "Safety Peg" Drop-Side Crib Recall to Repair, CPSC, March 22, 2011

After dozens of deaths, drop-side cribs outlawed, MSNBC/AP, December 15, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Delta Children's Products

Crib Safety, Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association

More Blog Posts:
CPSC Bans Drop-Side Cribs and Approves New Crib Safety Standards, Product Liability Law Blog, December 18, 2010

Delta Enterprise, LaJobi, Evenflo, and Jardine Enterprises Among the More than 2 Million Cribs Recalled Over Drop-Side Issues and Other Hazards, Product Liability Law Blog, June 29, 2010

Deaths of Two Infants Lead to Recall of Nearly 1.6 Million Delta Cribs and 2 Thousand Playkids Convertible Cribs, Product Liability Law Blog, October 22, 2008

Continue reading "Colorado Infant Death Prompts CPSC to Re-Announce Recall of Delta Enterprise Drop-Side Crib Over Safety Peg Defect" »

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has unveiled new child restraint guidelines that are categorized by age instead of the type of child seat. NHTSA wants children to use the restraint type recommended for each age for as long as possible before moving on to the next recommended child safety seat. Hopefully, these new guidelines will decrease the number of child injuries during car crashes.

NHTSA's car seat recommendations:
Up to 12 months: A rear-facing car seat.

1 to 3 years: A rear-facing car seat for as long as possible is recommended. NHTSA says to keep the child in this seat until he/she hits the weight or height limit allowed by the car seat manufacturer.

4 to 7 years: A forward-facing seat with a harness is best until he/she hits the weight or height limit.

8 to 12 years: A booster seat. The child should use a booster seat until he/she is big enough to use just a seat belt. Remember, the seat belt's lap belt should be able to snuggly go across the upper thighs (not the stomach) and it should also be snug over the chest and shoulder (not the face or neck). Previously, booster seats were recommended until only age 8.

Meantime, the American Academy of Pediatrics, which published a new policy in Pediatrics' April 2011 issue, advices that toddler should be kept in rear-facing car seats until they either turn 2 or grow bigger than the weight or height limit for the car seat. This is a revision of its previous age 1 recommendation for when to face the child safety seat forward.

According to a 2007 study in the journal Injury Prevention, children younger than 2 are 75% less likely to die if they are seated in a rear-facing child safety seat. On CNN.com, pediatric emergency doctor Dennis Durbin is quoted as saying that one reason that rear-facing child safety seats are safer is that they are better at supporting the spine, neck, and head during a car crash.

Our child injury lawyers represent families of kids hurt in car crashes because a child car seat was defective or failed in some way. Manufacturers must make sure that their products not only adhere to standards set by the government but also, they must be safe for use. Otherwise, injury or death can be grounds for a products liability case.

New Age-Focused Guidelines Help Parents Make More Informed Choices, NHTSA, March 21, 2011

AAP: Toddlers in rear-facing seat until 2, CNN, March 21, 2011

Child Safety-Seat Recommendations, Revamped, ABC News, March 21, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Car Seat Recommendations for Children, NHTSA (PDF)

Pediatrics

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Burlington Basket Company are recalling about 500,000 bassinets over concerns that they pose a fall hazard. The recall comes following 10 reports of incidents involving the bassinets collapsing. Two babies sustained minor injuries as a result.

A fall hazard exists when the bassinet's cross-bracing rails are not fully locked into position. This can cause the bassinets to collapse and the infant may either fall out of or within the infant bed. The CPSC is warning consumers to stop using the recalled bassinets right away. If your child was injured while in a Burlington Basket Company bassinet or because of any other defective, dangerous, or malfunctioning product, contact our child injury law firm immediately.

Recently, the hazards that furniture or other products can pose to sleeping infants and young children has once again been in the media spotlight—a sure indicator that despite the injuries and deaths that have occurred from defective cribs, strollers, bassinets, and baby monitors, some manufacturers are still not doing enough to make sure their products are safe for use.

Last week, our child products liability law firm reported on the recall of 1.7 million Summer Infant video baby monitors following two recent strangulation deaths of babies. Earlier this month, the CPSC issued a warning that "SafetyCraft" portable drop-side and full-size cribs made by Generation 2 Worldwide appear to include the same drop-side hardware found in the Generation 2 Worldwide ChildESIGNS brand drop-side cribs that were recalled a year ago following 20 drop side-linked incidents and three infant suffocation fatalities.

Should this hardware fail, the crib's drop side might detach, which can create an opening that a baby or toddler can get stuck or entrapped in and suffocation or strangulation can occur. CPSC wants consumers to stop using these cribs right way.

According to the journal Pediatrics, almost 10,000 thousand kids a year are injured in cribs, bassinets, and playpens. The CPSC has recalled over 11 million of these products since 2007. 2/3rds of the injuries occurred in fall accidents.

Nearly 10,000 Kids a year injured in cribs, bassinets, and playpens, NPR, February 17, 2011

Recall issued for about 500,000 bassinets, KHOU, February 17, 2011

WARNING: Generation 2 Worldwide "SafetyCraft" Brand Drop-Side Cribs Pose Risks of Strangulation, Suffocation, Hardware Linked to Deaths and Injuries, CPSC, February 3, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Pediatrics

Consumer Reports

Related Blog Posts:
1.7M Summer Infant Video Baby Monitors Recalled Following Two Child Deaths, Product Liability Law Blog, February 12, 2011

Toddler's Parents File Massachusetts Crib Defect Lawsuit Seeking Wrongful Death Damages, Product Liability Law Blog, January 14, 2011

CPSC Bans Drop-Side Cribs and Approves New Crib Safety Standards, Product Liability Law Blog, December 18, 2010

If you will recall, in November, our products liability law firm reported that the Consumer Product Safety Commission had put out a warning for people to be careful when using baby monitors that aren't wireless because the electrical cord can pose a strangulation hazard to kids. Now, following the deaths of two babies from this very cause, the CPSC and Summer Infant are recalling 1.7 million baby monitors so that better instructions can be provided for how to properly use these devices so that children remain safe.

Several deaths have been linked to corded baby monitors, including the death last March of a 10-month old girl who died in a Washington DC strangulation accident involving her Summer Infant's electrical cord. The baby monitor had been placed on top of her crib's rail. In November, the CPSC learned about a 6-month-old who died in a South Carolina strangulation accident that also involved the electrical cord of his Summer Infant monitor. Another boy, 20 months, almost died when his Summer Infant cord ended up around his neck. Now, the CPSC is urging parents and guardians to make sure that the baby monitors are kept far enough away from babies that there is no way they can reach for or get close to the electrical cord.

Even if a product doesn't malfunction or have some design flaw, if it is causing serious injury or death, then it may be a dangerous product that should be recalled. Inadequate operating instructions and warnings can warrant a products liability case if inclusion of better warnings and more complete directions could have prevented an injury or a death from happening.

Over 40 different models of Summer Infant baby monitors, including those with digital, handheld, and color monitors, are included in the recall. Summer Infant is also recalling the rechargeable batteries found in another 58,000 baby video monitors that were sold only at Babies R Us in between 2009 and 2010 because they may cause burn injuries.

Two Strangulation Deaths Prompt Summer Infant to Recall Video Baby Monitors with Cords; Firm to Provide New On-Product Label & Instructions, CPSC, February 11, 2011

Video baby monitors recalled for strangulation hazard, Reuters/Yahoo, February 11, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Summer Infant

Strangulation Hazards, Family Education

Related Blog Posts:
CPSC Warns About Infant Sleep Positioners and Baby Monitor Cords Following Several Deaths, Product Liability Law Blog, November 11, 2010

Strangulation, Choking, and Fall Hazards Prompt Recall of Baby Walkers, Clothing, and Books, Product Liability Law Blog, April 17, 2010

1-Year-Old's Strangulation Death Leads to Recall of 670,000 IKEA Blinds, Product Liability Law Blog, November 21, 2008

Continue reading "1.7M Summer Infant Video Baby Monitors Recalled Following Two Child Deaths" »

The Consumer Product Safety Commission is warning parents and guardians to exercise caution when using a corded baby audio and video camera monitor. There have been reports of six baby strangulation deaths involving a baby monitor cord since 2004. It was just this March that a 10-month-old girl died in a Washington DC child injury accident after she became entangled in her camera monitor's cord. The monitor had been next to her crib. The CPSC says it has also obtained three other reports of babies that became entangled in a monitor cord and were fortunately rescued before suffering serious injuries.

Although the CPSC is not at this time recalling baby monitors with cords, to decrease the chances of strangulation, the agency is recommending that caregivers and parents:

• Use a baby monitor that is wireless.
• If you are going to use a corded baby monitor, then keep the cord out of your child's reach.

The CPSC is also continuing to recommend that you keep your son or daughter away from any type of cord and that you remove drawstrings and long ribbons from a child's clothing.

The agency, along with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, is also warning consumers to stop using infant sleep positioners. Although long touted as a tool for helping babies stay on their backs while sleeping, over the last 13 years there have been reports of 12 baby suffocation deaths after the infants became entrapped between the positioner and the side of a bassinet or crib.

There have also been dozens of reports of babies who ended up in potentially dangerous positions while using the positioner even after they had been placed on their side or back. Although an infant sleep positioner is supposed to lower the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, the FDA and CPSC do not know of any scientific studies that can verify that this infant product prevents SIDS or suffocation.

Strangulation and Suffocation Accidents Involving Children
Over the years, too many kids and babies have died or sustained serious injuries, such as brain damage, due to suffocation or strangulation. While government and safety officials have taken steps to prevent products that pose such hazards to children from entering the marketplace, unfortunately there are still consumer items, including those that are made specifically for infants and young kids, that continue to make their way onto store shelves and into homes.

Infants can strangle in baby monitor cords, CPSC (PDF)

FDA & CPSC: Infant Sleep Positioners Pose Suffocation Risk, Parenting, September 29, 2010

Related Web Resources:
FDA

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Strangulation and Suffocation, Parents

Continue reading "CPSC Warns About Infant Sleep Positioners and Baby Monitor Cords Following Several Deaths" »

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission and Britax Child Safety Inc. have announced the recall of about 23,000 Chaperone Infant car seats. The recall comes after the manufacturer received three reports of minor injuries sustained because the seat's harness chest clip broke and became a laceration danger and a choking hazard.

Injuries reported have included scratches to the arms and a finger related to the child seat defect. One infant reportedly put the chip in his mouth.

Parents, guardians, and caretakers are asked to stop allowing the babies and young children to use the car seats. If you contact Britax, the manufacturer can send you a free repair kit.

It was just last month that Evenflo recalled more than 18,000 Maestro child safety seats because they failed a frontal-impact crash test conducted by Consumer Reports. Two of the seats that were tested ended up with a harness that had come loose and a crack shell. No injuries to children were reported.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 2008, research showed that child safety seats reduces fatal crash injuries for infants in the under the 1 age group by 71%. It lowers the number of fatal car crash injuries for kids in the 1 to 4 age group by 54%. When a child is securely fastened in a child safety seat while riding in a light truck, the reduction in fatal injuries for infants is 58%. It is 59% for the 1 – 4 age group.

Unfortunately, even if a parent or caretaker secures a child in a safety restrain system that is the right size and type, if the child safety seat isn't free from defects and/or malfunctions, then their attempts to protect their son/or daughter from getting hurt or dying in a car crash can prove futile.

Manufacturers of defective child car seats and booster seats can be held liable for products liability.

Infant Car Seats Recalled by Britax Due to Laceration and Choking Hazards, Consumer Product Safety Commission, November 4, 2010

Occupant Protection, 2008 Child Safety Facts, NHTSA (PDF)

Evenflo Maestro Car Seats Recalled After They Fail "Consumer Reports" Crash Test, Product Liability Law Blog.com, October 18, 2010

Child Passenger Safety Week: Protecting Your Child with the Proper Child Safety Seat, Product Liability Law Blog.com, September 22, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Car Safety Seats: Information for Families for 2010, Healthy Children, American Academy of Pediatrics

SeatCheck.org

Continue reading "About 23,000 Britax Child Safety Seats Recalled" »

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Albee Baby are recalling about 130 Sorelle brand "Prescott" fixed-sided cribs because they pose a possible hazard to children. Simplicity Inc., a manufacturer that is no longer in business, made the cribs.

This latest recall expands upon a crib recall that was announced last April involving Simplicity cribs. That recall was for both drop-side and fixed-side cribs. They too were recalled because they posed possible fall, entrapment, and suffocation hazards.

The approximately 130 cribs are re-labeled Simplicity cribs and come with the tubular metal mattress-support frames that were part of the original recall. In the event that the frames detach or bend, a space may be created that a toddler or infant can get entrapped in or fall out of the crib through.

Already there has been one Massachusetts crib death involving a one-year-old who got entrapped between the crib frame and mattress and suffocated. The CPSC says it has received at least 13 reports of incidents involving Simplicity cribs that collapsed because the metal mattress support frame became bent or detached.

Our child injury law firm wants to remind you that you can hold a crib manufacturer liable for products liability if your son or daughter sustains injuries or dies because of a crib defect or malfunction.

Baby Safety Month
The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association sponsors Baby Safety Month in September. This year, JPMA is placing special emphasis on teaching caregivers and parents about the importance of a safe sleeping environment for a baby.

JPMA offers a number of crib safety tips, including:

• If your child is in a drop-side crib, remember to keep the drop-side raised unless you need to lower it to pick up your child or lean into the crib.


• Don't place the crib close to windows, blinds, or draperies that come with long cords.


• Make sure the crib is properly installed and that there are no missing or loose parts, such as spindles or slats.


• Make sure that if there is a space between the crib side and mattress that it is no more than the width of two fingers wide.


• Don't use a crib that has any cutout areas on its footboard or headboard.

Albee Baby Recalls C & T International/Sorelle Brand "Prescott" Cribs Due to Entrapment, Suffocation and Fall Hazards, CPSC, September 14, 2010

Crib recall expanded, News Channel 5, WPTV, September 15, 2010

Crib Safety, JPMA

Related Web Resources:
Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association

Crib safety tips, Consumer Reports

Continue reading "Sorelle Brand "Prescott" Cribs Recalled Over Fall, Suffocation, and Entrapment Concerns" »

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Baby Matters LLC are recalling 30,000 Nap Nanny® portable baby recliners because they pose fall, entrapment, and suffocation hazards. One baby, 4-months-old, reportedly died while in the recliner. She was in her harness but hanging over its side and stuck between the crib bumper and the recliner, which was in the crib. Another infant, who was also in the harness, suffered a forehead cut after falling over the side of the recliner. The baby ended up caught in between the crib side and the recliner. It is not recommended to use a Nap Nanny® inside a play yard, crib, another confined space, a countertop, a table, or any other space that is elevated.

To date, there have been 22 reports of infants, most of them under the age of 5 months, either falling out or hanging over the recliner's crib while harnessed. Failure to properly attach the velcro straps inside the recliner's cover or the "D"-rings inside the foam can make the recliner an even more serious hazard that can cause injuries to children. The first generation Nap Nanny® model did not come with "D" rings.

According to Forbes.com, Nap Nanny is designed to imitate the curves of a child safety seat. The recliner is supposed to keep the baby at a slightly raised level to decrease gas, reflux, stuffiness, and other issues.

Owners of first generation Nap Nanny® models should stop using the recliner right away and call Baby Matters LLC for a coupon. Second generation Nap Nanny® model should discontinue use of the recliner until they can get new warnings and product instructions from the company Web site.

Our child injury attorneys understand the devastation of losing a child because a product manufacturer was careless in designing a defective furniture product or did not provide proper instructions or warnings for safe use.

Baby Matters Recalls Nap Nanny® Recliners Due to Entrapment, Suffocation and Fall Hazards; One Infant Death Reported, CPSC, July 26, 2010

Nap Nanny recliners recalled, Forbes.com, July 26, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Nap Nanny

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The Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced several recalls in the past week geared toward preventing serious injuries to children. The most recent one comes today with the recall of approximately 1,160,000 Roman shades and 115,000 roller shades made by Smith + Noble. The shades pose a strangulation hazard that can occur in the event that the child's neck either gets ensnared in the shade cord or stuck between the Roman shade and the exposed inner cord. So far, there has been just one report of a child, a 5-year-old Washington boy, getting entangled in a roller shade's unsecured continuous loop bead cord. Fortunately, he did not require medical attention. Shade owners should request a free repair kit.

Just two days before, the CPSC recalled about 44,900 Kariño Baby Pacifiers distributed by Antonio Flores. The pacifier do not meet federal safety standard and poses an aspiration risk and choking hazard to young kids. The pacifier's mouth guard isn't large enough and lacks ventilation holes. Also, its handle is too long and the nipple is easy to separate from the base. It is important to take the pacifier away from your child right away and contact Antonio Flores to request your refund.

Last Thursday, the CPSC and Health Canada recalled approximately 20,000 Cozy Indoor Outdoor Portable Playard Tents Plus Cabana Kits. The playard can pose an entrapment and strangulation hazard if the clips attaching the tent to the playard break or come off. At that point, a child in the playard is at risk of becoming entrapped between the tent's metal base rod and the playard frame. One boy, age 2, died from injuries he sustained in the playard during a Maine entrapment accident. Consumers are being urged to stop using the playard tents and contact Tots in Mind Inc. to request a free replacement kit.

Our child injury lawyers are pleased to hear about the Consumer Product Safety Commission's increased efforts to clear the marketplace of products that can cause serious injuries to children. That said, there are still a lot of products with defects that continue to place kids' lives at risk, including poorly designed and manufactured clothing, shades, nursery products, furniture, child safety seats, toys, jewelry, playground rides, chests, and household décor.

Smith+Noble window shades recalled, UPI.com, July 22, 2010

Karino pacifiers recalled due to choking hazard, Bloomberg, BusinessWeek, July 20, 2010

Safety regulators have new urgency over baby products, USA Today, July 21, 2010

Play yard tents recalled after child's death, AP, July 15, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Consumer Product Safety Commission

Child Safety, Consumer Reports

Continue reading "CPSC Attempts to Prevent Injuries to Children with Recalls of Smith + Noble Roman and Roller Shades, Kari√±o Baby Pacifiers, and Tots in Mind Playards" »

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has taken action to ban all drop-side cribs. On Wednesday, the federal agency voted unanimously to stop the manufacture, sale, and resale of cribs with drop-sides. Drop-side cribs are at least 32 infant deaths (and possibly another 14 child fatalities) in the past decade alone.

In the last five years alone, more than 9 million drop-side cribs have had to be recalled over crib entrapment, suffocation, and fall hazards caused by defective crib design, mattress support failure, drop-side detachment, poor quality materials, and other safety issues. The new mandatory standards requires that cribs be made with better quality wood, stronger mattress support, and sturdier hardware.

The new mandatory standards will have to go through a final vote but are expected to go into effect in 2011. All cribs sold would have to meet the new standards. Daycare centers and hotels also wouldn't be able to use drop-side cribs. Drop-side cribs will no longer be accepted by or sold at thrift stores.

Just last month, some 2 million drop-side cribs were recalled, including cribs made by Delta and Evenflo. Yesterday, Pottery Barn Kids recalled 82,000 drop-side cribs because they pose an entrapment danger or a suffocation hazard to young kids. Pottery Barn Kids is a division of Williams-Sonoma, Inc.

A Pottery Barn Kids drop-side crib can be become a suffocation hazard if the drop-side detaches and a space is created that a young child can become entrapped in. Possible drop-side detachment, which can occur from hardware breakage, incorrect assembly, or a malfunctioning crib part, also poses a fall hazard to kids.

All Pottery Barn Kids drop-side cribs are included in the recall. Already, Pottery Barn Kids and CPSC have received 36 reports of drop-sides malfunctioning. Seven minor injuries linked to children getting their legs caught between the drop side and mattress or falling out of the cribs have been reported. One child's head got caught between the drop side and mattress during a crib entrapment accident.

Government nears new standards for cribs, ban on drop-side cribs, CNN, July 15, 2010

Feds push new ban as Pottery Barn recalls cribs, AP/Google, July 14, 2010

Pottery Barn Kids Recalls to Repair Drop-Side Cribs Due to Entrapment, Suffocation and Fall Hazards, CPSC, July 14, 2010

Related Web Resources:
The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (PDF)

Dangerous Cribs, Chicago Tribune

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