Product Liability Law Blog

Another crib line made the news headlines this month, as Jardine Enterprises and the US Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the voluntary recall of 320,000 Jardine cribs because they pose a potential hazard for strangulation or entrapment.

The recall was announced following 42 incidents involving the cribs and broken spindles and crib slats. Four children got trapped in the spaces left by the broken pieces and two of them sustained bruises and abrasions. The cribs were manufactured in China and sold at Geoffrey Stores, Toys “R” Us, Babies “R” Us, Geoffrey Stores, and Kids World.

In an unrelated recall, Stanley Furniture has also recalled about 1,200 2nd Nature Built to Grow Cribs cribs over worries that the space between the crib and the mattress, when the latter’s support is in the middle setting, might be wide enough that an infant could get trapped in the gap.

Our product safety law firm represents families whose children have suffered serious crib injuries or other injuries a result of a defective product. Unfortunately, parents cannot always trust that a manufacturer will design nursery products that are safe for use.

Regardless, there are steps you can take to secure your child’s crib, including:

• Using a mattress that is firm and fits tightly in the crib.
• Making sure the crib is assembled properly.
• Ensuring that there are no loose, broken, or missing crib pieces.
• Checking that the crib’s slats are narrow enough that your child cannot fall through.
• Making sure that there is nothing in the crib that your baby’s clothing can get caught on.

Despite one’s best efforts, accidents can happen, and our experienced products liability lawyers have helped many families obtain financial recovery from negligent product manufacturers, designers, distributors, and retailers.

Our products liability law firm can help you assess whether you have grounds to file an injury lawsuit.

Cribs recalled after four children trapped, Boston.com, June 30, 2008

Recalls, CPSC.gov

Crib Safety Tips, CPSC.gov

Related Web Resources:

Kids in Danger

How to Avoid Dangerous Cribs, Good Housekeeping

Continue reading "320,000 Jardine Cribs Recalled After Four Entrapment Accidents" »

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Posted In: Infant Products , Injuries to Children & Minors , Nursery Products

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This month, a House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee met to examine the way the government handles phthalates and Bisphenol A (BPA), two chemicals that have been used for over half a century on numerous consumer products. Phthalates is often used to soften plastics, and Bisphenol A is often applied when manufacturing shatterproof containers. One issue of concern is whether these chemicals should be banned from children’s products.

BPA can be found in baby toys, baby bottles, pacifiers, food cans, the linings of milk containers, and other products. While the US Food and Drug Administration says that baby bottles made with BPA are safe for use, government scientists are worried about how these two chemical may be affecting babies.

Recent findings in animal experiments link BPA to changes in the brain and hormones, as well as precancerous growths in the breast and prostate. In the US Senate, Democrats recently introduced a bill to ban Bisphenol A in toys and food products.

Phthalates is often found in teething rings, soft baby books, baby bottles, and other kids’ products, such as dolls and rubber ducks. While the US Consumer Product Safety Commission says that use of this softening chemical does not show any health risks, scientists claim phthalates can cause health problems, including reproductive defects and triggering early puberty in girls, which places them at higher risk for liver cancer and breast cancer.

In response to the growing concerns, Wal-Mart, Lego, Toys"R"Us, Gerber, and Evenflo say they will phase out or stop using phthalates in their products. California and Washington have instituted their own phthalate bans, while other states are considering similar bans. Although the US Senate passed a bill to ban phthalates in products made for children and infants, the House of Representatives has yet to discuss this chemical. The European Union and at least 14 other countries have also banned the phthalates.

Our defective toy litigation lawyers represent families whose children were seriously injured because of a defective or dangerous toy. We are a product safety law firm committed to getting injured clients the financial recovery they are owed.

Congress wary of plastics used in toys, bottles, Forbes.com, June 10, 2008

FDA official says baby bottles with bisphenol A safe, AP, June 10, 2008

Related Web Resources:

Toxic Baby Bottles, Environment California

Bisphenol A

Phthalates

Continue reading "US Congress Examines Use of Phthalates and Bisphenol A In Children’s Toys, Bottles, and Thousands of Other Products" »

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Posted In: Infant Products , Injuries to Children & Minors , Toys

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The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is reporting an increase in nursery-related injuries and deaths affecting kids younger than 5. According to the CPSC’s annual report, there were 66,400 injuries involving nursery products that required emergency room attention in 2006. In 2005, there were 59,800 injuries.

High on the list of products involving serious injury accidents were play yard and cribs. 12,400 injuries and 43 deaths involving these products occur annually.

In 2007, 1.7 million play yards and cribs were recalled following reports of three deaths and a number of entrapment incidents. Graco and Simplicity products made up approximately 1 million of the products recalled.

Just last week, the CPSC and Munire Furniture Inc. recalled 24,000 cribs, including Majestic Curved Top and Flat Top Cribs, Essex Cribs, Brighton/Sussex Cribs and Captiva Cribs, because they did not meet federal safety standards. The failure of the four support brackets on the mattress to prevent the spring from going down to its minimum height can allow children to fall over the railing. The cribs were manufactured in Indonesia.

Suffocation, and entrapment caused by defective parts and too much bedding are among the leading causes of crib injures and deaths. Gas poisoning because of substances found in the mattresses can also lead to crib deaths. Fall injuries are also a common concern.

In its report, the CPSC’ nursery products-related injury list also included the following products:

• Infant Carriers
• Car Seats
• Mattresses
• Changing Tables
• High Chairs
• Strollers
• Carriages
• Baby Walkers
• Exercisers
• Jumpers
• Baby Gates and Barriers
• Baby Bouncer Seats
• Portable Swings
• Baby Baths
• Bathinettes
• Bath Seats
• Cradles
• Bassinets

Our products liability attorneys represent families throughout the United States whose children have been injured or killed by a defective toy or nursery products. We would be happy to discuss your case during a free consultation.

CPSC report on nursery-related deaths highlights crib and play yard dangers, ConsumerReports.org, February 28, 2008

Nursery Product-Related Injuries and Deaths Among Children Under Age Five, CPSC.gov (PDF)

Related Web Resources:

Recalls

Munire Furniture

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Posted In: Infant Products , Injuries to Children & Minors , Nursery Products

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Baby product manufacturer Evenflo Company Inc. is voluntarily recalling 1 million Discovery Infant Car seats. The recall comes after Evenflo and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) tested the child safety seats. They discovered that during high impact side collisions, the car seat can come off or break apart,which could cause serious injuries or death if either were to occur in real life.

So far, there are no reported injuries related to this recall. Evenflo says it will provide a dual-hook fastener to registered owners so the child car seat will stay intact in the event of a similar collision. The Discovery Infant Car seats that are part of the recall were manufactured between April 2005 and January 2008. They include models 552, 534, 391, and 390.

Evenflo has voluntarily recalled other infant car seats before. Last year, the baby product manufacturer recalled over 450,000 Embrace Infant car seats following 679 reported incidents that involved seat handles on car seats releasing suddenly without warning. 160 injuries were reported, including two concussions and a skull fracture.

Last week, the NHTSA announced it will set up a new child seat rating system for parents shopping for child car seats. The new system will include an assessment for “ease of use,” in terms of how easy the seat is to install and use, the clarity of instruction manuals, and product labeling.

When used properly, the NHTSA says that child car safety seat systems reduce fatal injuries for toddlers and infants by more than 50% in cars and by nearly 60% in SUVs.

When child car safety seats are defective, however, those safety numbers can go down. In the last 7 years, millions of child car seats have been recalled because of defects, including:

• Defective seat handles
• Defective shoulder straps
• Weakly constructed car seats
• Flammable product pieces
• Defective harnesses
• Defective seatbelt slots

Our products liability law firm represents the families of children who have been injured or killed while using a defective product. Our product safety lawyers have successfully handled many injury cases involving auto accidents, defective motor vehicle-related products, and injuries to minors.

One million Evenflo car seats recalled, CNN.com, February 1, 2008

Read the NHTSA Recall, Office of Defects Investigation, January 31, 2008

New child seat ratings system announced, Sun-Sentinel.com, January 30, 2008

Fall Hazard Prompts NHTSA, CPSC and Evenflo to Announce Recall of Embrace™ Infant Car Seat/Carriers, CPSC.gov, May 10, 2007

Related Web Resources:

Evenflo

List of Recalls and Replacement Parts for Child Restraints, Carseats.org, February 1, 2008 (PDF)

Continue reading "Evenflo Recalls 1 Million Discovery Infant Car Seats" »

Posted by Gilbert, Ollanik, & Komyatte, P.C. | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Infant Products , Injuries to Children & Minors , Kids in Cars

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