‘Tis The Season To Watch For Dangerous Toys and Gifts
The year 2007 was a banner year for defective toys and children’s objects, which unfortunately caused catastrophic injuries and death to many unsuspecting recipients. Although millions of toys were pulled from store shelves, it was too late to prevent catastrophic injuries to many children.
In 2007, the Consumer Products Safety Commission proposed the Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act of 2008, which does not take effect until February 2009, and which will result in the biggest overhaul of the Commission in its history. The Consumer Products Safety Commission handles most of the nation’s recalls, including toys. The Safety Act requires toys and infant products to undergo extensive testing before they are sold and bans lead and other harmful chemicals in toys. Many of the independent retail toy shops are complaining that the newly proposed lead testing and consumer regulations will threaten their ability to survive in this difficult environment. Starting on February 10, 2009 every business involved in domestic toy sales must prove that independent laboratories test their products for excessive lead or they face fines of up to $100,000 for each violation with a $15 million dollar cap.
Philadelphia product liability lawyer, Jeffrey Reiff, has been a long time advocate of consumer rights and thinks it is about time that manufacturers and retailers take a hard line in the interest of protecting children by putting safety concerns above concerns about profits.
Child safety is a paramount concern and it is extremely important that the toys our children play with are safe and free of hazards. Unfortunately, many innocent and loving children have sustained serious and fatal injuries due to dangerous toys. Some of the hazards to watch for that may cause injury or death to children are as follows:
1. Flammable materials in the toy.
2. Long strings or rope, which may cause strangulation.
3. Lead-based paint, which may cause lead poisoning.
4. Small pieces, which may cause a choking hazard.
5. Sharp broken edges, which may result in cuts or scratches.
6. Inadequate warning of possible hazards.
7. Electrical shorts, which may cause severe burns.
If your child has been seriously injured in a dangerous toy related accident, you may want to contact a dangerous toy attorney for a free evaluation of your case. As your family celebrates the holiday season do not allow this time of joy and wonder for our little ones to become a season of distress. An educated and smart parent should keep a close watch on your children with new toys and sign up for the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission’s email alerts at www.cpsc.gov. If you visit this site, you can examine a long list of recalls for toys that have contained high levels of lead or are otherwise defective.
If you or a loved one has been injured by a defective product, please contact the Philadelphia defective product lawyers at Reiff and Bily for a free consultation at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.
