Thousands of defective products are being manufactured every year despite the progress of consumer regulations. The most vulnerable and youngest members of society are greatly at risk of getting severely injured or dying as a result of these defective products.
We understand the turmoil a parent must be facing when a child or infant is injured or killed by a defective product the parent assumed was safe. It is unjust and we fight to hold these manufacturers accountable for these defective products so that they don’t hurt any more children.
Advertisements geared towards infants, toddlers, older children, and teenagers make the assumption that their products are safe but that is not always the case. Car seats are required by law in every state so naturally, you assume that all car seats in the market are supposed to be safe. In fact, numerous car seats have saved many infants and children from severe injury or death but some have actually caused injury or death.
Product Recalls
A ProPublica investigation raises serious concerns about the safety claims made by the makers of the Evenflo booster seat. The video shows a child dummy being tossed around in the Evenflo booster seat during a side-impact crash test. This booster seat is currently on the market and below are numerous other product recalls that have occurred in the past six months.
Evenflo
This car seat manufacturer is being investigated for misleading parents with claims that its Big Kid Booster seat is safe during an impact from the side. The company used misleading marketing tactics claiming that Evenflo was safe during a side impact test. Investigators reviewed the videos of the testing and noted a child dummy violently tossed around the seat that would likely cause paralysis or even death.
Fisher-Price & Graco
Fisher-price had a massive recall of 4.7 million Rock ‘n Play sleepers last April and has also been recalled by other companies for their infant sleepers. Graco, one of the most noteworthy brands announced that it would recall its Little Lounger Rocking Seat.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported multiple infant fatalities with these types of inclined sleepers. These devices can cause infants to roll onto their stomach or side which can cause an infant to suffocate.
Infantino
This baby product company has recently announced three product recalls of its infant carriers. These include the Go Forward 4-in- 1 Evolved Ergonomic carrier, the Up Close Newborn carrier, and the Flip Front2Back carrier. Around 14,000 carriers were recalled due to the buckles breaking and causing infants to fall to the ground.
Baby Trend
Baby trend announced a recall in January of its Tango Mini Stroller after finding out that its hinge joints could cause the stroller to collapse with a child inside.
Contigo
A popular water bottle brand recalled 5.7 million Contigo Kids Cleanable water bottles last year. Now the company will have to recall the replacement lids and bottles due to a silicone spout on the lid that could become detached and cause a choking hazard.
IKEA
This company recalled 7,000 MATVRA Infant Bibs sold in-store and online last year because the snap on the bibs could cause a choking hazard.
The Main Types of Child Safety Seats & Their Recommended Uses
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), children should be in rear-facing car seats until the age of two. They then can transition to forward-facing safety seats until they are 4 years old or have exceeded the upper height and weight limit of the seat. Once the child reaches 4 years old, weighs over 40 pounds, and mature enough to properly use a shoulder belt, the child can transition to a booster seat that has a shoulder belt and adult lap.
Children should use a booster seat with an adult lap and shoulder belt until they fit them properly without a booster. Typically between the ages of 10 and 12 is when children are able to refrain from using booster seats.
According to the SafeKids.org, the main types of child safety seats include:
Infant Rear-Facing Car Seats
Also referred to as rear-facing-only car seats. These seats are designed for infants for use in a semi-reclined rear-facing position.
Forward-Facing Car Seats
This car seat is intended for use in a forward-facing position. Once a child outgrows a rear-facing car seat, the child then moves on to a forward-facing car seat with a top tether and harness.
Booster Seat
This car seat does not use a harness and raises a child so that the adult lap and shoulder belt fit over the child correctly. Booster seats may be backless, have removable high backs, or high backs.
3-in-i Car Seat
This car seat can be converted into three options, a rear-facing with a 5-point harness, forward-facing with a 5-point harness, and a booster seat.
Combination Car Seat
This is a forward-facing car seat with a top tether and a five-point harness to secure a child over the age of 2. This seat can then be converted into a booster seat.
Convertible Car Seat
This car seat changes from rear-facing to forward-facing until the child outgrows the 5-point harness by height or weight.
Speak to Car Seat Defect Injury Attorneys Today
Car seat safety is crucially important among children and infants. Parents of these young children expect car seats to keep their children safe from injury or death. However, in the event of an accident, a child could potentially suffer injuries or death from these defective products.
Researching and deciding which car seat is safe for your child could be a difficult task. Car seats for infants and children should protect them from a car crash, unfortunately, defective products on the market are still being sold.
Joe I. Zaid & Associates, have successfully handled numerous cases involving defective car seats. We understand the importance of keeping your child safe from harm and will fight against manufacturers so that you recover what you are owed.
If your infant or child was injured due to a car seat or booster seat defect, call us at (346) 756-9243 or schedule a free consultation today.