You expect your child's toys and children's products to be fun, educational, and safe. However, with manufacturers producing more new toys every year, some toys with design flaws or defects are readily available in stores, and these can injure your child -- sometimes severely. The U.S. Consumer Product Commission estimates that more than 200,000 children sustain toy-related injuries each year that are severe enough to require a trip to the emergency room. Children are also injured when products – such as car seats, cribs, and sports equipment – fail.
If your child was injured by a toy or children's product, contact the Orange County child injury attorneys at Woods Williford, P.C. today at (888) 340-2440.
Types of Danger
Toys and children's products should have adequate warning labels advising parents of the potential risks. Failing to disclose the appropriate age range for a toy or product means caregivers may inadvertently give a child a toy inappropriate for his or her age, putting the child at risk for injury. Without adequate warning labels, parents may miss signs of danger before their child is injured.
Instruction manuals are especially important for children's products such as car seats and cribs. Without these, parents may not know how to safely assemble or install the product, which can lead to severe injuries.
Choking on small and/or detachable pieces is the most common toy or children's product injury in the United States, and choking accounts for 44 percent of all toy-related fatalities. For very young children who are likely to put objects in their mouths, toxic chemicals such as lead-based paint pose another threat to their health.
Toys or products with sharp, pointed edges can cause lacerations, punctures, or bruising.
Battery-operated toys may overheat and burn your child. Children can sustain severe internal injuries if they are able to remove the battery from its compartment and swallow it.
Toys with too-loud sirens or alarms can cause permanent hearing damage, and those with projectile pieces can cause eye or head injuries, including blindness.
Children can be suffocated by a toy or product packaging materials.
Toy and Children's Product Recalls
Toys are recalled every year, even those produced by major manufacturers. Common reasons for a recall include:
- small pieces that detach and become choking hazards;
- cords or strings that can cause strangulation;
- sharp edges that cause lacerations; and
- toys that overheat, causing explosions or fires.
Manufacturers may not know a toy is dangerous until your child is injured. In some instances, the Manufacturers may know of the dangers, but choose not to warn people or make recalls because it would be bad for the Manufacturers' profits. If your child is injured by a toy or children's product, seek immediate medical attention. Keep the toy or product and any receipts that you have.
Contact an experienced child injury attorney at Woods Williford, P.C. as soon after the accident as possible. Your attorney can notify the manufacturer of your child's injuries and file a personal injury lawsuit if the toy was defective due to the manufacturer's negligence and your child suffered injuries as a result.
Contact a California Child Toy/Product Injury Attorney
If your child was injured by a toy or children's product in California, contact Woods Williford, P.C. for compassionate legal representation. Our experienced team fight for just compensation for their injuries. Call us today at (888) 340-2440 or fill out our online form for a free consultation.