Popular Fad Toys May Not Be Safe For Children
Did you know that the summer months account for nearly half of all injury-related
deaths to children? In addition, hospital emergency departments expect
2.5 million children to be treated for injuries this summer. It remains
important for parents, babysitters, and all caregivers to help keep kids
stay safe during the warm weather months and year-round. Knowing about
what popular children’s products and fad toys are causing serious
injury to others is the first step. We took a special look at two popular
toys on the market today.
• Fidget Spinners
There is no question that the fidget spinner trend has been nothing but
a boom for the toy industry, but the popular handheld three-pronged pieces
of plastic that are flicked for fun can also be potentially dangerous.
The small plastic and metal spinners even made the
Top Ten Summer Hazard list of Boston-based World Against Toys Causing Harm, because they can cause
dangerous distractions, can fall apart, and the small pieces can create
a choking hazard.
It is believed more than half the children in the U.S. own a fidget spinner,
though some have experienced serious injuries. Texas and Oregon children
have been taken to hospitals after choking on fidget spinner pieces. A
young child in Texas required surgery on her esophagus as a piece was lodged.
• Hoverboards
Hoverboards also topped the consumer
watchdog’s list of dangerous summer toys to avoid because of fire hazards linked to serious
injury and even death. Since 2015, hoverboards have been questioned for
safety because their lithium-ion batteries have combusted spontaneously
causing explosions and fire while children are riding on them. The boards
have also caught on fire while being charged, causing millions of dollars
in property damage to homes.
Last year alone (2016), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) had
estimated receiving 99 reports of hoverboards smoking, sparking or catching
on fire and
issued a recall of more than 500,000 hoverboards from different manufacturers. CPSC
issued an “urgent warning” about LayZ Board hoverboards this summer (2017), reporting evidence that the board had caused a fatal fire.
Continued injuries and deaths to children from hoverboard fires and toys
with small parts reveal the urgent need for increased awareness, safer
products, better pre-market testing, and a more responsible marketplace
to help prevent injuries. In the meantime, parents can avoid many hazards
relating to toys, especially fad toys, by remaining educated, identifying
safety issues by examining toys on a regular basis for broken or loose
pieces, and checking recall lists. Parents may have a case of product
liability if there was a defect in the design, manufacturing, or warning
issued for the toy and their child was seriously injured or died or property
damage was caused.
Talk to an Experienced Product Liability Lawyer
Toysafety.org provides a fantastic overview of hazardous toys and tips on how to keep
your children safe. Do you have any tips to offer to protect children
from a toy-related injury? Give the
product liability attorneys at Wagner Reese a call if you have sustained a toy-related injury and
we can assist you with your case. You can reach us at (888) 204-8440.