Recent Product Recalls Linked to Child Injuries

It is always concerning when we hear about a product recall, especially when that product has been linked to serious injuries or even deaths. However, product recalls often are even more upsetting when they involve products that we have purchased with the expectation that they will be safe for our children’s use. We expect quite a lot of kids’ products, and we should be able to presume that a child’s car seat or an infant cup will not cause preventable injuries to our children. However, as a recent article from Safe Kids Worldwide reports, there were two major recalls of children’s products last month alone. Failing to pay attention to these safety defects could result in serious and even life-threatening injuries to your child.

What do you need to know about recent recalls concerning safety defects and kids’ products?

Spill-Proof Children’s Cups and Dangerous Mold Risk The first major recall of last month might not be one that most of us normally would associate with safety defects. According to the article, Mayborn USA recalled its “Tommee Tippee Sippee Spill-Proof Cups” due to the “risk of mold exposure when it remains wet or moist.” What are these cups? While you may not know them by name, it is very likely that you have seen children using them or that you have purchased them for your own kids. They are plastic cups that come with a “sippy” lids so that children can drink from a cup without spilling the liquid inside. Given that cups are designed to hold liquids, the fact that these recalled cups can develop mold when they remain wet or moist is a serious safety defect.

What happens when young children are exposed to the type of mold that can grow in these cups? According to the article and the recall notice from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), “mold ingestion poses a risk of gastrointestinal symptoms and infections in consumers with compromised immune systems.” As KidsHealth.org explains, children’s immune systems are not as developed as are adults, and as such kids can be more susceptible to serious illness (and severe complications).

More than three million of the recalled sippy cups are currently in the marketplace in the United States alone, and nearly 3,100 consumers have reported finding mold in the cups. Of those, nearly 70 children have become seriously ill. If you have one of these cups, stop using it immediately and contact the company for more information.

Child Booster Seat Recall In addition to the sippy cup recall last month, the article also reports that Graco Children’s Products, Inc. recalled its TurboBooster booster seats. What is wrong with these products? The booster seats do not come with important safety information, namely “instructions for safe booster seat installation.” Without knowing how to properly install the booster seat, the seats can cause serious injuries in the event of a car accident.

If you have one of these booster seats, you do not need to return it to the company. However, you should not use it until you can find a child passenger safety technician at an inspection station in order to learn how to install the booster seat properly.

Contact a San Diego Product Liability Lawyer At the Walton Law Firm, we are committed to helping clients who have been injured due to a dangerous product defect. When you purchase an item, you should be able to expect that it will be safe for use, particularly when you are buying a product for your child. If you or someone you loved suffered a serious injury because of a safety defect, an experienced San Diego product liability lawyer can assist you. Contact us today for more information about our services.

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