The purpose of product recalls is to alert the public about a dangerous or defective product in order for any consumers who purchased that product to either repair or replace that product. Although any defective product can pose hazards, defective children’s products can have especially tragic results. However, one study found that only 10 percent of recalled children’s products are actually returned.
The study was conducted by the nonprofit children’s safety advocacy group Kids in Danger, which is based in Chicago. The group conducts the study each year. The organization expressed concern that the majority of recalled items remain in use and could cause serious injury or fatalities to the children who use them.
The organization compared last year’s children product recalls to previous years’ recalls. Although the number of injuries and incidents decreased, the number of recalls and fatalities related to those recalls increased. There were 11 million units of children’s products recalled in last year. Two recalls had over 2 million units each.
Findings of the report include:
- There were 76 children product recalls in 2016, a 12 percent increase from 2015;
- There were 66,813,956 total units of children’s products were recalled. This was the highest year since 2001. Exception in 2004 when 150 million vending machine toys were recalled.);
- The number of injuries, incidents, and deaths had a sharp increase. In 2016, there were 4,842 incidents that resulted in 394 injuries. Seven children died before recalls were issued.
- The number one type of recalled products were nursery items, accounting for more than 30 percent of children product recalls. For the first time in 10 years, there were no cribs recalled;
- Approximately 60 percent of companies who issued recalls utilized social media, such as Facebook, to notify the public. This was a dramatic increase from past years. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) also utilized social media to alert consumers to recalls.
Unfortunately, the organization found that it took an average of 64 complaints of a serious issued with a product before recalls were issued. This was a drastic increase from past years. In 2014, the average was five reports, and in 2015, the average was 12 reports. There were some recalls which took even more than the average of 64 reports, including:
- Tommee Tippee Sippee Cups: More than 3,000 reports of mold in the cups, 68 reports of illness from the mold before recall issued;
- Pacific Cycle: It took 132 incidents – resulting in 215 injuries – due to injuries to both children and caregivers before a recall issued; and
- Hillsdale Furniture: It took 650 reports of the side mattress support rails cracking or breaking before recall issued.
If your child has been injured because of a dangerous or defective product, contact a skilled Virgnia personal injury attorney to discuss what legal recourse you may have against the product’s manufacturer or any other parties which may be liable.