Product Liability Law Blog

In the first quarter of fiscal year 2012, Consumer Product Safety Commission port investigators and US Customs Border Protection agents have stopped nearly 650,000 units (of approximately 240 different noncomplying products) from entering the country and reaching consumers. They screened over 2,900 shipments at ports of entry throughout the country and pulled the items that they determined were unsafe and/or violated US safety rules.

Most of the products that the agents and inspectors halted were for children (527,950 units). Some of the reasons they didn't make it through included lead paint violations, small parts, phthalates, which are banned from child products, tracking label violations, misbranding, and other violations involving art materials, battery-operated toys, baby walkers, magnets, baby rattles, clacker balls, and toys with sharp points or chemical hazards. Adult products (119,410) that were stopped included holiday lights, hair dryers, lighters, luminaries, fireworks, and bicycles.

In fiscal year 2011, the federal safety agency had examined over 9,900 product shipments at US ports. Nearly 4.5 million units of products considered hazardous or violative were stopped from reaching consumers.

Products Liability
At The Gilbert Law Group, our products liability lawyers have the skills and experience to represent children and adults injured by defective products, including dangerous or hazardous toys, appliances, furniture, electrical products, recreational equipment, and accessories. Even though the CPSC works hard to prevent manufacturers and distributors from producing and bringing unsafe products into the marketplace, it is obvious from the number of recalls that continue to be announced every month that there are many unsafe units that still manage to make their way in, posing a serious injury and health risk to consumers.

This month alone there have been over 10 products recalled already over fire dangers, fall hazards, fingertip amputation and laceration risks, and suffocation and entrapment dangers. Recalled items included approximately 16,700 Rockland Furniture Drop-side cribs for the usual strangulation, suffocation, and entrapment hazards posed by this type of design, about 40,000 Topeak Babyseat II Bicycle Carrier Seats (the grab bar's hinge mechanism can cause fingertip amputation and laceration injuries), around 2,000 Viking dishwashers due to an electrical issue that may cause them to overheat and start a fire, and more than 307,000 Office Depot® Brand Biella Leather Desk Chairs that can cause fall injuries should the chair to come off its base. Already there have been several reports of minor injuries.

Port Surveillance News: CPSC Investigators Find, Stop Nearly 650,000 Unsafe Products at the Start of Fiscal Year 2012, CPSC, April 5, 2012

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Consumer Reports

More Blog Posts:
Even as Number of Children's Product Recalls Went Down in 2011, Injuries Rose, Product Liability Law Blog, April 13, 2012

More Pourable Gel Fuel Recalled by Manufacturers, Product Liability Law Blog, September 30, 2011

CPSC Now Ready to Talk About Tougher Safety Regulations for Table Saws, Product Liability Law Blog, September 28, 2011

Continue reading "CPSC Stopped About 647,000 Unsafe Products from Entering the US During 1st Quarter of Fiscal Year 2012 " »

With the weather getting warmer, more people will be going outside to turn on the grill and start cooking meat, poultry, and other food items. While grilling is considered healthier than frying foods, there are also some risks involved. E.coli risks go up if you fail to properly grill your meat or chicken or you cook contaminated food products and burnt meat can contain carcinogens. However, there is another possible health risk being reported that involves use of a wire grill brush. Used to free up charred remains from the grill and protect the grill rack from damage, some medical professionals are reporting that there are patients seeking treatment for injuries because they've accidentally ingested the brush's wire bristles.

According to a study involving doctors at Rhode Island Hospital, between May 2009 and November 2010, six patients were admitted to the emergency room there because of wire bristle ingestion. These patients came in complaining of abdominal pain and painful swallowing. They all had just eaten grilled meat. CT scan and x-ray results showed that there were wires in the abdomens and throats of the patients. The doctors determined that these were the grill brush bristles that had come off and gotten stuck in the meat.

The study's lead author, radiologist David Grand, says they don't know if this is a widespread problem. He is, however, calling for more research. Meantime, our products liability law firm will continue to monitor developments surrounding the wire grill brush and we will bring you updates.

The doctors had to perform surgery on three of the patients to remove the bristles. Two of these procedures were done on the small intestine, another on the liver. They also took out bristle wires from the necks of three patients. The findings from their study can be found online in the American Journal of Roentgenology.

Obviously, getting wire bristles stuck in your throat or in one of your internal organs can be very painful and could lead to serious health problems--not to mention the complications that might result from having to undergo surgery to remedy the matter.

Grill brush bristles aren't the only products that can cause a grilling accident. Unstable grills that have a defective support design can cause a fire and/or burn injuries, as can propane tank defects. Sometimes the danger is the person grilling because of inexperience or carelessness. Not knowing how to operate a grill or placing it in an area of the backyard that makes it a fire hazard can up the chance of serious injuries or death. Also, person in charge of food might leave meat products out in the sun too long, causing bacteria to grow, which can potentially lead to stomach illnesses and other health issues for those eating.

Our products liability lawyers represent persons that are seriously injured because of dangerous, defective, and/or poorly designed products. We also represent burn victims injured in accidents. Contact The Gilbert Law Group today.

Watch The Wire: How Your Grill Brush Could Make You Sick, NPR, March 30, 2012

RI Hospital warns of wire grill brush dangers, The Examiner, March 28, 2012

Backyard barbecues are a big part of summer fun, but avoiding their hidden dangers is key to staying healthy and enjoying a cookout, a doctor suggests, USA Today/AP, July 22, 2011

American Journal of Roentgenology

More Blog Posts:
Portland, Oregon Child Injury: 3-Year-Old Undergoes Surgery After Swallowing 37 Buckyball Earth Magnets, Product Liability Law Blog, March 16, 2012

More Pourable Gel Fuel Recalled by Manufacturers, Product Liability Law Blog, September 30, 2011

CPSC Now Ready to Talk About Tougher Safety Regulations for Table Saws, Product Liability Law Blog, September 28, 2011

The parents of a 4-month-old girl who died after she became entrapped in her portable baby recliner is seeking $75K in Michigan products liability damages from manufacturer Baby Matters LLC. The baby, Juliette Thiel, died on July 9, 2010 from asphyxiation.

The infant was found hanging from the Nap Nanny's side while her face had gotten caught between the recliner and the crib bumper. In their Michigan wrongful death complaint, Brian and Mako Thiel accused the manufacturer of failing to make sure there were proper warning labels that came with the infant recliner cautioning against suffocation injuries.

Following Juliette's fatal accident, the Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled 30,000 Nap Nanny recliners. The federal safety agency said the recliners posed fall, entrapment, and suffocation hazards. CPSC and Baby Matters also reported that there had been least one other known incident of a an infant entrapment accident happening while the Nap Nanny was being used in crib. That baby, who fell over the recliner's side, got caught between the Nap Nanny and the crib's side and sustained a head cut. Additionally, 22 reports involving harnessed infants falling out of or hanging over the Nap Nanny's side were filed.

In their Michigan child products liability lawsuit, the Thiels are contending that not only are there two patents indicating that the Nap Nanny was made to be used in a crib, but also, product marketing materials prior to March 2010 promote that the child recliner be used this way. The CPSC has since advised that the Nap Nanny not be used inside a crib, play yard, or another confined space. Placing the Nap Nanny on an elevated surface is also not recommended because the baby might fall out.

The Thiels say that as early as March 2010, the CPSC told Baby Matters it was looking into whether the Nap Nanny had defects. At the time, the manufacturer said denied this. However, the couple says that in May 2010, the CPSC found that the Nap Nanny was defective, came with a harness that did not properly restrain infants or keep them secure, and if used in a crib placed the baby at risk of becoming entrapped and suffocating. Warning labels and directions also were found inadequate. Juliette died two months later. Her parents are seeking over $75,000 in Michigan wrongful death damages.

Manufacturers are supposed to warn of any safety risks that come with using a product. This includes making sure that a product comes with the appropriate warning labels and operating instructions. It would be even better if products did not have any design defects that made them dangerous for children and infants to use--especially while they are asleep and unsupervised.

Couple sues firm in death of infant, The Detroit News, November 19, 2011

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

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

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

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

In a unanimous vote, members of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission have approved a new federal safety rule for children's outerwear. Per the final rule, kids' upper outerwear, sizes 2T through 16 with certain bottom or waist drawstrings and those with hood or neck drawstrings in sizes 2T through 12 possess substantial product hazards that could lead to serious injuries to children. If your child got hurt or died because he or she got entangled in or was strangled while wearing clothing with drawstring, please contact our child products liability law firm today.

The CPSC says it has received 26 reports over kids dying because a clothing drawstring got caught on a school bus door, playground slide, or another object, resulting in dragging incidents, entrapment, and/or strangulation. Serious injury or death can also result if a drawstring was to wrap too tightly around a child's neck. A drawstring that has an object attached to it can also pose a choking hazard if the piece was to come off and the child was to swallow it.

It was in 1996 that the CPSC set up industry guidelines for kids' clothing in regards to drawstrings. The guidelines proved effective in that they've decreased the number of child deaths from hood and neck drawstrings by 75%, while deaths from bottom or waist drawstrings have gone down 100%. In 2006, the CPSC's Office of Compliance said that any kids' upper outerwear with neck or hood drawstrings would be considered a defective product that posed a substantial child injury risk and therefore subject to recall. In 2008, our child injury law firm reported in one of our blog posts that between April 2007 and May 2008 over 18 recalls involving over 19,000 units of clothing with drawstrings was announced.

Recently, Macy's agreed to pay a $750,000 penalty for not reporting drawstrings in kids' outerwear. Federal law requires distributors, manufacturers, and retailers notify the CPSC of a product that is a serious injury or death hazard within 24 hours of discovering the possible defect. The penalty against Macy's resolves allegations that the department store chain did not obey the law and immediately tell the CPSC that it sold children's sweaters, sweatshirts, and jackets with neck drawstrings between 2007 and 2010 and that these posed a child strangulation and death hazard. The defective clothing was sold not just at Macy's stores, but also at Robinsons-May and Bloomingdale's. Some of the clothes were allegedly sold even after they were recalled.

Macy's Agrees to Pay $750,000 Civil Penalty for Failing to Report Drawstrings in Children's Outerwear, CPSC, July 11, 2011

CPSC Issues New Drawstring Safety Rule for Children's Outerwear
Drawstrings at Neck and Waist Present Strangulation Hazard and Other Dangers, CPSC, July 1, 2011

Safety group sets kids' drawstring safety rules, MSNBC/Reuters, July 1, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Read the CPSC's Drawstring Guidelines from 1996 (PDF)

Recalls.Gov

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

Defective Clothing Can Cause Serious Injuries, Product Liability Law Blog, June 18, 2008

Retailers Pay $320,000 Fine For Selling Defective Children's Clothing With Drawstrings, Product Liability Law Blog, May 13, 2008

Continue reading "CPSC Says Certain Kids' Outerwear with Drawstrings Pose Strangulation, Entrapment and Death Hazard to Kids" »

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 Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a warning that using a water walking ball can be dangerous and may cause injury to children and adults—although it is mainly used by kids. The water walking ball has different brand and ride names.

The see-through, inflatable plastic ball is large enough for a person to enter. After the rider climbs in, he she is locked inside. There is no emergency exit out of the ball, which can be only opened by someone outside it. Water walking balls can be found in certain carnivals, amusement parks, malls, sporting events, and other areas of high traffic. The balls are also sold for personal use.

The CPSC is warning that the walking water ball can pose a suffocation hazard especially as the airtight ball may limit the air supply inside if oxygen gets depleted and carbon monoxide starts to built. Impact injuries can also result if two balls collide with each other or the balls end up rolling off the grass or ice or out of the water and onto a concrete surface because they don't have padding.

Also, if the ball is in the water and it gets punctured, the person inside could end up drowning. Other injuries can occur if a water walking ball is hit by a boat or strikes another hard object. Water walking balls have been used in pools, rivers, and lakes.

In one Massachusetts water walking ball accident, a child became unresponsive while in the ball. Another person, a boy, sustained a fracture after the ball he was in fell out of a shallow pool and rolled onto the ground.

If you or your loved one was hurt while using a water walking ball, you should contact our products liability law firm right away. It is the responsibility of any manufacturer to ensure there product is safe for use and that it comes with instructions on how to use safely. Warnings of possible hazards should also be included.

You may have grounds for a water walking ball accident lawsuit.

Consumer Alert: CPSC Warns of Deadly Danger with Water Walking Balls, CPSC, March 31, 2011

Gov't says don't walk on water: People in big, inflatable plastic balls can drown or suffocate, The Washington Post, March 31, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Unintentional Drowning: Fact Sheet, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Products Liability, Nolo

More Blog Posts:
Playground Accident Death: Girl's Family Wants "X-Wave" Banned, Product Liability Law Blog, August 24, 2011

Stay Away from Dangerous Toys, Caution WATCH and PIRG, Product Liability Law Blog, November 30, 2010

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" »

When looking for children's gifts for the holiday season, it is important that you remain aware of the dangers that some of the toys in the marketplace pose. Granted, in an ideal world, it would be great if toy manufacturers only made toys that were safe for use and didn't pose choking, suffocation, aspiration, or strangulation hazards. Unfortunately, this isn't always the case, and every year, there are kids who end up with serious injuries because of a dangerous toy or another defective product.

Each year, World Against Toys Causing Harm (WATCH) issues its list of 10 Worst Toys List:

Pull Along Caterpillar: Comes with a breakaway pull string that can become a choking hazard.

Buzz Magnets: A child might choke if he/she swallows one of the small magnet pieces. Swallowing the magnets may cause internal injuries.

Ballzillion Tug Boat Play Center: Injuries or death can result if this toy is used as a flotation device.

Supasplat Splatblaster: This toy gun can cause injuries to the face, eyes, or other body parts.

Spy Gear Split-Blaster: Darts can be an eye injury hazard.

My First Mini Cycle: If a toddler falls off the cycle, head injuries are possible.

Kung Fu Panda Sword of Heroes: Although the sword is made of hard plastic, it can still cause serious impact injuries.

Walkaroo II Aluminum Stilts: Falling from the stilts can cause serious head injuries.

Big Bang Rocket: May cause hearing impairment.

Animal Alley Pony: The pony's fiber-like hair may cause ingestion problems or aspiration injuries.

U.S. PIRG, the federation of state Public Interest Research Groups, recently issued its 2010 Trouble in Toyland Report. It offers safety guidelines of toy buyers and discusses some of the key hazards still found in kids' toys.

2010 Worst Toys List, WATCH

Top 6 Common Hazards, US PIRG

Related Web Resources:
Trouble in Toyland Report (PDF)

Consumer Reports

Continue reading "Stay Away from Dangerous Toys, Caution WATCH and PIRG" »

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 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

Consumer Reports

Continue reading "CPSC Recalls 30,000 Baby Recliners After Death of 4-Month-Old Girl" »

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 US Consumer Product Safety Commission is recalling more than 2 million cribs because of the hazards they may pose to children. Included in the recall are cribs made by Evenflo, LaJobi, Child Craft, Million Dollar Baby, Jardine Enterprises, Delta Enterprises Corp, and Simmons Juvenile Products Inc. The cribs were made between 2000 and 2009.

To date, no fatalities have been linked to the recalled cribs. However, there are about 250 reports of drop-side detachment and failure incidents, as well as at least 16 child entrapment accidents.

The Recalled Cribs:
750,000 Jenny Lind Cribs by Evenflo: Drop-side hazards can place a toddler at risk of getting hurt or dying from crib entrapment, suffocation, strangulation, or fall accidents. 31 reports cite drop-side malfunctions and detachment, which have resulted in at least 7 injuries.

Approximately 306,000 Bonavita, Babi Italia, and ISSI drop-side cribs: 40 reports of malfunction and detachment incidents have been filed. One child got hurt during a crib fall accident.

40,000 – 50,000 Child Craft "Crib 'N' Double Bed" stationary-side Cribs and an unknown number of Child Craft drop-side cribs: If the stationary side of the "Crib 'N' Double Bed" is assembled upside down, a dangerous gap at the top of the crib can be created, placing infants and toddlers at risk of crib entrapment. Four entrapment accidents have been reported. Two of the kids were reportedly in danger of strangulation. The CPSC has received seven reports of drop-side failure that have resulted in one entrapment accident and one fall accident. Child Craft is no longer in operation.

Approximately 156,000 Million Dollar Baby drop-side cribs: There have been 43 reports of drop-side-related incidents, including 8 entrapment accidents and 3 fall accidents.

Approximately 747,000 Delta drop-side cribs and all drop-side and fixed Delta cribs that come with wooden stabilizer bars: If the wooden is installed upside down, a mattress support hazard can be created, which increases the risk of entrapment accidents. 57 drop-side related incidents have been reported. The CPSC knows of 19 stabilizer bar incidents that have caused 10 mattress platform collapses and at least 3 resulting injuries.

All (about 13,000) Jardine Enterprise drop-side cribs: At least 47 drop-side incidents have occurred. One child who became entrapped fell unconscious and was hospitalized. Nine other entrapment accidents have resulted in injuries, including a broken collarbone.

Approximately 50,000 Simmons Easy Side drop-side cribs: CPSC has received reports of 30 drop-side incidents resulting in 2 entrapment accidents and 3 fall accidents.

The companies involved in this latest recall are offering consumers free repair kits to fix the crib defects. Do NOT try to fix these cribs without a kit.

Recent Recalls, CPSC

Feds recall another 2 million drop-side cribs, Chicago Tribune, June 25, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Feds Ending Manufacture of Drop-Side Cribs, CBS News, May 10, 2010

Dangerous Kids, Kids in Danger

Continue reading "Delta Enterprise, LaJobi, Evenflo, and Jardine Enterprises Among the More than 2 Million Cribs Recalled Over Drop-Side Issues and Other Hazards" »

In the wake of the 2007 death of 10-day-old baby from a handmade baby sling, the Consumer Product Safety Commission is recalling approximately 40 Sprout Stuff infant ring slings because they pose a child suffocation hazard. Sprout Stuff is located in Texas.

The baby slings were sold to consumers between October 2006 and May 2007. The recalled slings are made with cloth that threads through a ring and "Sprout Stuff" is printed on the tail hem's backside.

It was just last March that the CPSC put out a warning that parents and caregivers should be extra careful when using the infant slings with babies under 4-months of age. At least 14 infant deaths over the last 2 decades are linked to the infant sling carriers. Products liability lawsuits claiming wrongful death have been filed in some of these cases.

The suffocation risk can occur if the sling's fabric blocks a baby's breathing by pressing against his/her nose and mouth. An infant can also suffocate if his/her airways get obstructed while in the sleeper in a curled position involving the chin pressed into the chest.

Although the CPSC has placed infant slings on the list of infant products that need a mandatory standard, there still isn't one at this time.

Child Suffocation
Suffocation is the number one cause of accidental child deaths. According to More4Kids.Info, common causes of child suffocation include:

• Positional asphyxia
• Overlay: A person sleeping with a child rolls over and smothers the child
• Choking accidents
• Entrapment: The child gets trapped in a confined area that is airtight, such as a toy chest
• The child's face or chest gets covered, which obstructs breathing
• Strangulation

As you can see, many of these causes of child suffocation are ones that our child injury lawyers have written about on our products liability blog site in relation to products that have caused serious injuries to children. Defective cribs, poorly designed window shades and drapes, toy chests with lids that don't have a proper security lock, and toys that are so small that they are easy to swallow, are just some products that have caused suffocation deaths and injuries to kids and babies.

Newborn death prompts recall of baby slings, Associated Press, June 2, 2010

Infant Deaths Prompt CPSC Warning About Sling Carriers for Babies, CPSC, March 12, 2010

Child Suffocation: More than a Nightmare, More4Kids

Related Web Resources:
Recalls.gov

CPSC and Infant Sling Safety, BabyWearing International

After the recall of more than seven million drop-sides cribs, at least 32 related child deaths, and hundreds of incidents involving problematic drop sides, the lawmakers and the government is taking more aggressive steps to ban drop-side cribs. Last Monday, US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand proposed a bill that would make it illegal to make and sell drop-side cribs. A similar bill is also expected to also be introduced in the US House.

Meantime, the Consumer Product Safety Commission says that it will be taking aggressive steps eliminate drop-side cribs from the marketplace, as well as those that are already in US homes. 100,000 of the 500,000 cribs sold in this country in 2008 were drop-side cribs. Also, the CPSC is promising a new crib standard that would require crib manufacturers to make only cribs with fixed sides.

Our child injury attorneys are familiar with the serious injuries that can arise when a baby or toddler is left in a defective drop-side crib. We encourage you to explore your legal options for filing a products liability lawsuit or a wrongful death case if your son or daughter fell, became entrapped, or suffocated while in a defective crib.

Reasons why drop-side cribs cause injuries:

• The drop side becomes detached from the rest of the crib
• The drop side malfunctions and suddenly "drops," increasing the chance of a fall accident
• An opening gets created between the mattress and the drop side that makes it easy for a child to get entrapped in and suffocate
• Difficult to understand instructions can result in improper installation, which can increase the chances of a drop-side crib malfunction
• Crib parts made from poor quality materials are more prone to breakage and malfunctions

Lawmakers look to ban drop-side cribs, AP, May 25, 2010

CPSC looking to ban drop-side crib manufacturing, Todaysthv.com, May 10, 2010

Related Web Resources:
What Are The Safety Issues With Drop-Side Cribs?, About.com

CPSC

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