<
Back to Previous Page
Consumer Group Warns Holiday Shoppers Of Hidden Toy Hazards
This holiday season be careful of the toys you decide to buy your children. Has your child choked on a toy product? It may not be your fault. Your family does not have to suffer due to the negligence of toy companies. Contact a product liability lawyer to help you with your claim today. If not, beware - according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in 2004 there have been 73,000 children under the age of five that required medical attention in emergency rooms across the United States for toy-related injuries. In that same year there totaled sixteen children deaths from these toy related injuries.
Small magnetic toys are one of the major risks that have contributed to children toy-related injuries. Magnets can cause life-threatening tears inside the body when swallowed by a child.
For children under three, the CPSC has banned the sale of toys containing small parts for the past 25 years. Even though this restriction is in place, it has become the parent or guardian responsibility to make sure that it carefully enforced within the household.
Three tips for consumer and parents to remember:
- Toys that pass all CPSC standards may still pose hazards;
- Toy distributors online do not always provide the same safety warnings that are legally required on store packaging;
- Keep younger children safely away from toys with small parts that are intended for their older siblings
Recently in November of 2006, Mattel recalled 4.4 million "Polly Pocket dolls and accessories with magnets". The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recognizes that 170 reports of the small hazardous magnets falling out of these recalled toys. Life-threatening injuries occurred to three children who reported swallowing more than one magnet. If this happens, the potential of the two magnets attracting to one another can cause serious complication. All three endured intestinal perforations that required surgery. A 2-year-old child was hospitalized for seven days and a 7-year-old child was hospitalized for 12 days. An 8-year-old child was also hospitalized.
Holiday shoppers are reminded to examine all toys carefully for anything that can be potentially hazardous. Don’t let yourself become a victim this holiday season.
|
