CPSC Warns that Water Walking Balls Pose Drowning, Impact Injury, and Suffocation Dangers
The see-through, inflatable plastic ball is large enough for a person to enter. After the rider climbs in, he she is locked inside. There is no emergency exit out of the ball, which can be only opened by someone outside it. Water walking balls can be found in certain carnivals, amusement parks, malls, sporting events, and other areas of high traffic. The balls are also sold for personal use.
The CPSC is warning that the walking water ball can pose a suffocation hazard especially as the airtight ball may limit the air supply inside if oxygen gets depleted and carbon monoxide starts to built. Impact injuries can also result if two balls collide with each other or the balls end up rolling off the grass or ice or out of the water and onto a concrete surface because they don’t have padding.
Also, if the ball is in the water and it gets punctured, the person inside could end up drowning. Other injuries can occur if a water walking ball is hit by a boat or strikes another hard object. Water walking balls have been used in pools, rivers, and lakes.
In one Massachusetts water walking ball accident, a child became unresponsive while in the ball. Another person, a boy, sustained a fracture after the ball he was in fell out of a shallow pool and rolled onto the ground.
If you or your loved one was hurt while using a water walking ball, you should contact our products liability law firm right away. It is the responsibility of any manufacturer to ensure there product is safe for use and that it comes with instructions on how to use safely. Warnings of possible hazards should also be included.
You may have grounds for a water walking ball accident lawsuit.
Consumer Alert: CPSC Warns of Deadly Danger with Water Walking Balls, CPSC, March 31, 2011
Gov’t says don’t walk on water: People in big, inflatable plastic balls can drown or suffocate, The Washington Post, March 31, 2011
Related Web Resources:
Unintentional Drowning: Fact Sheet, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Products Liability, Nolo
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