Toys offer enriching experiences for children. They allow kids to explore their imaginations and mimic their world, such as play-acting their parents’ professions. Adults often invest quite a bit of money in toys that their children enjoy, and they generally expect that those items available for consumer purchase and targeted to a youthful market are safe for their children to use.
However, many companies that produce toys make manufacturing mistakes or fail to consider safety issues until after a child ends up injured. In recent years, there has been an uptick in the number of defective toys subject to recall in the United States. In 2022, there were nearly 100 recalls of children’s products, which was the highest number on record since 2013. In 2023, there have already been recalls announced that will impact millions of toys.
Dangerous toys often cause injuries
In the case of the recalled toys that pose a choking hazard, the risk to the children and the family is obvious. Choking can cause both brain injury and death, which can have devastating consequences for a family. Many other defective toys can lead to people getting hurt when a component fails.
There have been numerous brands of hoverboards and other such electronic toys subject to recall specifically because they pose fire hazards. People have lost their homes and sometimes lost family members when these popular toys short-circuit and end up causing house fires. Manufacturers that initiate recalls can replace or repair dangerous products and help reduce the likelihood of consumers getting hurt. However, recalls do not eliminate the risk to the public nor the liability for the business that released the dangerous toy.
There are options for affected families
Families that have had to absorb medical expenses, lost wages for caregivers who must stay home with injured children and property damage losses may be able to file product liability claims. Many companies carry special insurance to protect against the liability that effective products generate, and a lawsuit against the company may be necessary to secure the maximum amount of compensation from such a policy.
Holding a business accountable can both help to compensate affected families and impose financial penalties on businesses that release defective products to the public. Seeking legal guidance is a good way to get this process started.