Pennsylvania Child Safety Lawyer Urges Parents to Be Diligent when Purchasing Toys for Christmas
Every year millions of potentially dangerous toys will be sold in the United States and throughout the world. Recently the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Deputy Commissioner announced that millions of dangerous or violative toys and children’s products were seized in 2012 and prevented from reaching the hands of children. While we salute the efforts of these Federal agencies, it is important to understand that close to 10 million units of approximately 2,400 toys present safety hazards as they fail to meet federal safety standards.
When purchasing toys for children, safety should always remain the number one priority and even the most innocent looking toys, such as a stuffed animal, may present itself with some of the most unsuspecting danger in the forms of buttons, eyes, or other elements that may self-detach and cause choking of an infant or toddler.
Many toys come with chains, ropes, or cables that present a strangulation hazard. Many sharp edges or sharp corners should be avoided and manufacture of toys with toxic materials and coatings presents another hidden danger.
Our experienced child safety and dangerous toy lawyers in Philadelphia have investigated claims where children have choked on small parts of toys and where they even sustained burns due to electrical shorts and flammable materials.
Many inflatable toys, such as bouncers, may burst apart when a child is sitting or bouncing on them and investigation often leads to the fact that these toys were manufactured without appropriate testing or safety guidelines.
We like to think that toy manufacturers take all steps and are obligated to make sure that the toys they manufacture are safe and would properly warn consumers of potential hazards but this is not the case. Unfortunately, manufacturers of many products including children’s products do not follow the laws and emphasize safety over profitability. Flawed design, missing parts, or inappropriate or nonexistent warnings can often lead to catastrophic consequences in the wrongful death of a child.
We believe that manufacturers should be held responsible. However, it is best to avoid a potential accident by asking questions at the time of purchase and taking the extra step of reading safety reviews.
