Every year, defective products designed for children injure thousands of unsuspecting children and parents. Children are particularly susceptible to physical injury and often cannot appreciate the risks posed by certain objects. As a result, it is imperative that designers, manufacturers, and retailers of children’s products use reasonable care and keep the unique needs of children in mind when making or selling their products. In order to keep children and other consumers safe, the United States government regulates consumer products through the Consumer Product Safety Commission1 (CPSC). This agency promulgates various regulations regarding consumer products including those designed for children, which the CPSC defines2 as products designed for children 12 or younger.
Commonly defective child products
Infants, toddlers, and small children require countless products on a daily basis. From furniture to toys to feeding supplies, and more, parents have a substantial task when it comes to choosing and purchasing all of the necessary products to raise a child in modern times. Parents should be able to trust that the products in the stores intended for small children will be safe for their intended use.
Unfortunately, many products used for babies and children can be defective, malfunction, and cause injury. Some examples of child products that can be defective and cause injury include:
- Strollers – Strollers are used to transport children, often for many years. However, strollers are commonly recalled for several reasons. First, some strollers have unexpectedly collapsed, causing a child passenger to fall to the ground and suffer potential injuries. Additionally, some strollers can suddenly fold at the joints and a child’s fingers or other body parts may become pinched, cut, or even accidentally amputated. Wheels and tires on strollers can also be defective, causing a parent to lose control and crash the stroller.
- Cribs and changing tables – Pieces of child furniture such as cribs and changing tables are meant to support children, usually high off the grounds. When the joints or other parts of these pieces of furniture fail, come apart, or collapse, a child can fall quite a way to the floor, or even become trapped in between bars on a crib.
- Toys – Many toys present a choking hazard for small children who do not recognize the risks of putting small items in their mouths. For this reason, toys should be labeled for appropriate ages and should have warnings if they may present a choking hazard for certain ages. However, not all toys have proper warnings or age labels and parts may fall off of toys and suddenly become a choking hazard.
- Child carriers – Many parents use slings or backpack carriers to transport children and keep their hands free at the same time. Some of these carriers have been known to be defective, with straps breaking or children slipping out and falling to the ground.
These are of course only some examples of defective products that may cause injury to children and may lead to a legal claim.
Contact a Michigan defective product attorney today to schedule a free consultation
Individuals or parents of children who have been injured by a defective children’s product should contact an experienced attorney as soon as possible. In many case, Michigan product liability law allows victims of defective consumer products to recover significant financial compensation for their injuries. To schedule a free consultation with one of our Michigan defective product lawyers, call Michigan Injury Lawyers today at (888)-454-0801.
1 http://www.cpsc.gov/
2 http://www.cpsc.gov/PageFiles/133643/childprod.pdf