Deciding what baby products to purchase is one of the most researched decisions parents make in their lives. New parents agonize over picking the safest strollers, car seats, toys, and clothes, among other products. Making these purchases and ultimately keeping their children safe is at the forefront of all parents’ minds when preparing their home for a new baby and as they continue to purchase items as children grow. If a child is hurt because of a flawed product, the company that made the item can be held responsible. Ramsey Law Group knows how horrible it is when a child is injured and we do everything we can to ensure the responsible party is held accountable.
Parents should take some peace of mind that children and baby products are heavily regulated and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) works hard to make sure consumers know about recalls of unsafe products. They will even take measures, such as lawsuits or involuntary recalls, to keep companies from selling hazardous products. Unfortunately, with new items coming to the market every day, it is hard to always be 100% sure something is safe.
Some baby products injuries we have seen include strollers causing cuts by folding parts, cribs or other sleeping surfaces causing suffocation, baby clothes not meeting flame retardant standards and children being burned in a fire, children choking on a toy component, and a car seat not properly protecting a child in an accident. These are just a few examples, but we have seen baby products lead to serious injury, permanent disability, and in some cases death. We know how hard it is for a family to see a baby suffer, and that is why we work hard to not only relieve your pain and suffering, but also to make sure the defective product is fixed or taken off the shelves so other families can avoid tragedy.
While both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recall products, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) regulates most baby product recalls. Anything can be recalled, including toys, cribs, strollers, high chairs, and more. Every year, thousands of dangerous products are recalled, many of which are intended for children. The reasons for baby product recalls vary, and can include choking hazards, toxic substances in toys, and flammability, among others.
Baby safety recalls don’t expire, so check the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s list of recalls regularly at https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls, especially if your children’s products are hand-me-downs or secondhand purchases. Even if the product is removed from stores, very few steps are taken to remove it from homes, childcare facilities, secondhand stores, and garage sales. Millions of recalled baby products are still in use, so parents and caregivers should always ensure each product they use has not been recalled.
Product testing and manufacturing standards should be sufficient to weed out dangerous products, especially those designed for young children. Manufacturers of baby products have a duty to create and market only products deemed free from defects. Things you may never have thought of as being hazardous can injure children. A defective baby product can lead to choking, fractured bones, brain damage, head injury, suffocation, and asphyxiation. The most common injuries that result from products subject to a baby product recall include: