Under federal law, the manufacturers of toddler and infant products that
are durable are supposed to include a pre-stamped postcard with each item.
This gives parents the option to register the product via mail or online,
which gives the product maker the ability to provide immediate notification
in the event of a recall over a dangerous defect. Considering that millions
of children’s products are recalled each year, this mandatory registration
system would seem like a good idea except that, according to a Consumer
Federation of America survey, 61% of parents with kids younger than 12
didn’t even know that this new notification system existed.
The law is called the Danny Keysar Child Product Safety Notification Act
and it is named after a 16-month old baby who died in his sleep in a child
strangulation accident that occurred because the Playskool Trav’l
Lite portable crib he was in collapsed. Although the portable crib was
recalled five years before Keysar was born, no one notified the daycare
center where the crib was located about the news. The crib had two collapsible
rails that posed a strangulation hazard in the event that the infant sleeper
to collapse while the baby was in it.
Keysar is not the only infant to die in one of these cribs. His parents
filed a crib defect lawsuit against Kolcraft/Playskool-Hasbro. Their products
liability complaint seeking wrongful death was settled for $3 million.
At The Gilbert Law Group®, PC, our child injury lawyers are committed to
helping kids and their families recover products liability compensation
from manufacturers whose products caused serious personal injury or death.
It is a manufacturer’s job to make sure that a product is free of
harmful defects that could hurt users. Unfortunately, there are some companies
that fail to fulfill this duty, which means that as parents and guardians,
we must be extra vigilant in looking out for potential defects or hazards
and take on the task of protecting our kids. Registering a product is
one way to keep abreast of potential safety issues. You can also check
the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Web site, which publishes
a list of recalled products. It also is a good idea to check a product
for potential safety hazards, such as easy to swallow parts, long drawstrings,
sharp or protruding parts, small magnet pieces, and other dangers.
Registering new products could be a life saver, ABC Local, December 14, 2011
Are recalls reaching the right people?, Consumer Reports, January 4, 2011
Danny Keysar Child Product Safety Notification Act
More Blog Posts:
Prevent Child Injuries This Holiday Season By Avoiding Dangerous and Defective
Toys, Product Liability Law Blog, November 23, 2011
Michigan Products Liability Lawsuit Seeks Wrongful Death Damages Against
Nap Nanny Maker, Product Liability Law Blog, November 19, 2011
22,000 Dream on Me Drop-Side Cribs Recalled Because They Pose Laceration,
Entrapment, Suffocation, and Fall Hazards, Product Liability Law Blog,
May 24, 2011
Manufacturers that make unsafe products that cause personal injury or wrongful death should be held for products liability. Make sure to give our product defect lawyers a call to request your free consultation.