Falls are the leading cause of unintentional injury for children. As a resource to our clients, our Michigan child injury lawyers would like to share a list of useful tips and information for parents to help insure safety and prevent child fall injuries. According to study done by National SAFE KIDS Campaign (NSKC), the most effective way to prevent falls among children is to install window guards. In addition, protective surfacing under and around playground equipment can prevent the incidence and reduce the severity of fall-related injuries. Other fall prevention tips include: Never use baby walkers on wheels – Use stationary activity centers or walker alternatives. Use safety gates at the top and the bottom of stairs if there are infants or toddlers at home. Move chairs, cribs, and other furniture away from windows. Avoid Asphalt, concrete, grass, and soil surfaces under playground equipment – acceptable loose-fill materials include shredded… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Dangerous Products
Subscribe to Dangerous Products RSS FeedPackaging Designs Of Popular Instant Soups Scrutinized After Children Suffer Serious Burns
Posted in Burns, Dangerous ProductsFor seven-month-old Richard Martin, a diaper ultimately stood between serious burns and permanent scars. “As soon as I heard his screams, I knew it was really bad,” said Richard’s mother, Regina, who ran to Richard’s side after Richard spilled soup on himself in 2010. “Thankfully he had his Pampers on.” Richard, who lives in the Toronto area, was sitting down to dinner with his family when he tugged on a tablecloth, and a container of soup tumbled onto his left leg. The burn resulted in boils, welts and blisters from his left hip to his toes. Richard is one of several children – perhaps numbering in the thousands – who are rushed to ERs each year as a result of instant soup burns. The products often feature defective designs with narrow bases and wide tops that are easily “tippable.” “[Children] pull down on top of [soup containers],” said Dr. Warren… Continue Reading
Watch Out For This Bling! Recalled Children’s Jewelry
Posted in Dangerous ProductsThe following is a list of jewelry recalls issued from January 2011 to October 2011. EKSuccess Brand American Girl Crafts Jewelry Kit Recalled on June 7, 2011 The surface coatings on some of the beads contain excessive levels of lead. They were sold at Michael’s stores and retailers nationwide from September 2009 through June 2011. Build-A-Bear Workshop Lapel Pins Recalled on August 4, 2011 The surface paints on the pin contain excessive levels of lead. No injuries have been reported. They were sold at Build-A-Bear Workshop stores nationwide and online at www.buildabear.com from July 2009 through October 2010.
Why Can’t Children’s Clothing Designers Make Safer Designs? Recalled Children’s Clothing
Posted in Dangerous ProductsI’m no clothing designer, nor do I claim to be up-to-date when it comes to fashion. However, looking over the list of children’s clothing items that have been recalled over the past year due to safety concerns, there seem to have a common connection— simply poor designs that fail to take any considerations into play in the designing process. Slight modifications— or more accurately— elimination of extraneous features like drawstrings or decorations could potentially reduce the risk of a child’s serious injury. The following is a list of clothing recalls issued from January 2011 to October 2011 from the CPSC. Jean Bourget Inc. Lili Gaufrette Children’s Hooded Cardigans With Drawstrings Recalled on January 6, 2011 The cardigans have a drawstring through the hood, which can pose a strangulation hazard to young children. These garments were sold at Patty Cake in Nashville and Shaindy’s Children’s Wear in Monsey, NY, from… Continue Reading
Dangerous Cribs, Strollers & Gear. See What Children’s Products Were Recalled Over The Past Year.
Posted in Dangerous ProductsUnlike some of the children’s toys and clothing recalled over the past year, which may be exclusively used with the supervision of adults, many of the items named in the children’s furniture and baby gear recalls involve items that are inherently used to help children sleep or relax— without the immediate supervision of an adult. The following is a list of crib, furniture & baby gear recalls issued from January 2011 to October 2011 from the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission). Calisson Teething Rings Recalled on January 12, 2011 If the teething ring is punctured, bacteria and mold can grow inside the teether’s untreated liquid. This poses an ingestion hazard to infants and can lead to diarrhea and vomiting. The teething rings were sold at small children’s specialty stores nationwide and online at www.amazon. com from January 2008 through November 2010. Phil&teds USA Strollers Recalled on January 21, 2011 When… Continue Reading
Bah Humbug! Take a look at list of dangerous toys before you do your holiday shopping.
Posted in Dangerous ProductsAs parents there’s no better holiday gift than seeing the joy on your child’s face as she tears through the gift wrapping to discover a toy that has desperately requested. Given the well-publicized problems with some children’s toys in the past, many of us simply assume that toy manufacturers have taken it upon themselves to make safe products for our children. Indeed, while significant strides have been made with respect to the safety of children’s toys in general, the threat of injury or death due to inherently dangerous children’s products continues to be a real safety problem. Below is a list of toy recalls issued from January 2011 to October 2011 by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)– the consumer agency responsible for tracking information related to defective and dangerous toys. Before you rush out to the store to purchase a holiday gift for your child, I suggest… Continue Reading
CPSC Deems Drawstrings a “Substantial Product Hazard,” Strengthening Rules on Their Production and Distribution
Posted in Dangerous Products[Caption: A group of recalled sweatshirts from Burlington Coat Factory, July 2009 (Photo courtesy of CPSC)] Though the death of a child is always a tragic event, there’s something especially touching – and senseless – about children dying from drawstring accidents. Perhaps it’s the fact that nearly all of these incidents were easily preventable. Over the past five years, more than 100 recalls have been issued on clothing with drawstrings – each one clearly a strong warning sign. A recent ruling from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) will hopefully strengthen safety measures about these dangerous designs. “The Commission staff has demonstrated properly that the characteristics of drawstrings…meet the criteria to establish them as substantial product hazards,” said CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum, in a recent statement. “This rule strengthens CPSC’s authority to regulate drawstrings, and empowers our import staff…to quickly halt shipments of potentially hazardous children’s outerwear at the ports… Continue Reading
CPSC Issues Massive Recall of Pourable Fire Gel Fuels; Calling Fuels “Hazardous” and Potentially Lethal
Posted in Dangerous Products[Caption: Napa Home & Garden’s products are responsible for at least 37 burn injuries and two deaths. (Photo courtesy of CPSC)] With summer winding down, most of us are looking back on barbecues and cook-outs with pleasure. But for some families, this summer will carry with it unfortunate memories of ghastly burns – due to dangerous products called “fuel gels.” According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), fuel gels have so far caused at least two deaths and sixty serious injuries. The sheer scope of the injuries has prompted the CPSC to issue a sweeping recall of 2 million containers of pourable gel fuels. “Due to the serious risks of flash fire and burns when consumers add pourable gel to an already burning fire pot, consumers should immediately stop using the pourable gel fuel,” said the CPSC’s notice. Earlier this summer, we discussed the dangers of gel fuels, in… Continue Reading
Pottery Barn Recalls 82,000 Dolls, Citing Strangulation Hazard
Posted in Dangerous Products[Caption: “Chloe,” “Sophie,” and “Audrey” could pose grave dangers to your child. (Photo courtesy of CPSC)] An innocuous-looking hairpiece on three kinds of Pottery Barn Kids’ dolls might in fact be lethal to children, according the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). “The hair on the ‘Chloe’ and ‘Sophie’ dolls may contain loops that are large enough to fit around a child’s head and neck,” said an announcement from the CPSC. “And the headband on the ‘Audrey’ doll, if loosened, can form a loop…that can pose a strangulation hazard.” In response to the products’ defects, Pottery Barn is recalling more than 82,000 dolls; 81,000 in the U.S. and 1,300 in Canada. So far, no injuries have been reported, though a loop of “Chloe” hair was found around the neck of a 21-month-old child. Each doll measures about 17 inches high, and has hair made of yarn. The names of the… Continue Reading
Fuel Gel Burn Update: Illinois Attorney General Calls For National Recall
Posted in Dangerous ProductsAfter our recent discussion related to the dangers of fuel gel products, I received several contacts for people who have witnessed the products’ dangers themselves. Most relayed similar experiences in terms of difficulty determining if the flame on the firepot or torch was burning— or not. While determining the presence of a flame may seem a bit strange, this is exactly the problem many consumers have described prior to adding fuel to the vessel. The volatile nature of the fuel gel causes a severe reaction when the product is added to a flame. Numerous reports have come to surface of people receiving severe burns after the fuel gel literally exploded out of the firepot. Many of the burns are quite severe do to the gel’s inability to be extinguished in traditional manner. Rather, the gel continues to burn until the gel has burned away. Numerous manufacturers design and… Continue Reading
After Episodes Of Burns From Gel Fuels, Some Are Calling For Their Ban
Posted in Dangerous ProductsThis year alone, more than 50 reports of injuries and 2 fatalities have been reported to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission related to household use of a popular gel fuels. The gel fuel products have experienced a new wave of popularity over the summer months as consumers use the gels to provide ambiance and outdoor light to their summertime fun. A recent article in The Chicago Tribune discussed the dangerous aspects of these gels by documenting several situations where people were severely burned by splattering gel fuel. In one situation, a man was sent to the hospital with second and third degree burns after another party-goer attempted to re-fill a torch with more fuel. Such burn incidents are not isolated. In another incident, a child was severely burned when the gel spilled on to her skin when she mistakenly bumped a table. The nature of the gel exacerbated… Continue Reading
Legislation Needs To Target Problems Associated With Collapsing Car Seats That Can Injure Children
Posted in Dangerous Products, Motor Vehicle AccidentsAn antiquated standard that governs the mandatory strength required for the front-seats of cars needs to be improved– to improve the safety of back-seat passengers— children. Since 1968, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 207 has controlled the standards manufacturers must adhere to for new cars. As you can see from the video above, the standard does not do enough to protect passengers seated in the back seats– the area where children are generally recommended to sit. Even in relatively low-speed collisions, the current regulatory standards allow front-seats to spring back and hit children sitting in the rear thereby causing significant injury. Lawsuits filed on behalf of brain-injured children have been successful against seat manufacturers in theories premised upon claims that the seats are defective and unreasonably dangerous. At the very least, I think we need to re-evaluate current auto safety legislation on a far more frequent basis. As… Continue Reading
Happy Holidays From The Child Injury Laws Blog. Are Your Child’s Toys Safe?
Posted in Dangerous ProductsAs a parent, there’s no doubt that my son loves toys toys. The more — the better! However, some toys can pose serious and possibly lethal dangers to young children either because the toys contain dangerous substances and parts or because the toys are geared toward an older age group. As Christmas nears, it is important to review toy safety in order to ensure that the holidays are fun and safe. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) ensures the safety of consumer products including toys. There have been over 850 toy recalls since 1974. (See the CPSC’s “Toy Hazard Recalls.”) However, the number of toy-related injuries is increasing (54% increase over the last decade). This is in part because the CPSC lacks the resources to keep up with the plethora of new products entering the market. In 2008, over 235,000 toy-related injuries were treated and at least 19 children died. Most of these injuries were caused by… Continue Reading
Child-Related Products Must Now Include Registration Cards To Alert Parents Of Safety Concerns
Posted in Dangerous ProductsNext time you pry open an accessory for your infant or child, the product will include a postage-paid registration card that provides your contact information to the product manufacturer. The regulation takes effect June 28, 2010 as part of the Danny Keysar Child Product Safety Notification Act. The case of Danny Keysar made national headlines several years ago after Danny was killed in a portable crib that collapsed at a day care facility. What made the incident particularly tragic was the fact that the crib had been recalled by the manufacturer several months before his death. At the time of Danny’s death, no program was in effect to directly notify parents of dangerous products or manufacturing defects after they had been sold. Under the terms of the new law, the manufacturers must include registration cards that provides parents crucial contact information. Manufacturers must maintain the parents information on-file for at… Continue Reading
Design Defect May Be Responsible For The Strangulation Deaths Of Children In Graco Strollers
Posted in Dangerous ProductsA simple design error in several models of Graco strollers, that allowed young children to slide down and become entrapped in between a stroller tray and seat, may be responsible for the deaths of four children and serious injuries to others. In response to the design defects, Graco is recalling more than 2 million baby strollers manufactured and sold between 2000 and 2007. The recalled strollers include older models of the: Graco Quattro Tour MetroLite Travel Systems In 2008, Graco changed the design of these strollers to comply with a voluntary industry standard that called for larger openings between the stroller tray and seat bottom. The new design is believed to minimize the chance of a child becoming tangled and entrapped in a baby stroller. Unfortunately, many companies are hesitant to employ simple design modifications of childrens’ products until the correlation between a design problem and an injury or death… Continue Reading