While children young and old will be excited about the prospects for new toys this holiday season, parents must evaluate toys and products from a safety perspective. Each year, tens of thousands of children’s products are recalled due to dangerous ingredients, choking hazards, bacterial infections, fire hazards and many other reasons.
Toy Safety Concerns
When shopping and wrapping presents, parents should evaluate many safety factors to ensure that the toys they purchase for their children are sage and not part of a recall. Some factors to consider include:
- Loose parts that may pose a choking hazard
- Cords or strings that can pose a hanging hazard
- Packaging that poses a suffocating hazard
- Any allergy causing ingredients
- Lead or mercury in science kits or devices
Parents should also remove all packing and packaging materials and dispose of them quickly. Packaging materials are a significant source of injury every year.
Parents who receive hand-me-downs or buy used and secondhand goods should be especially vigilant about product recalls. A recalled children’s item will never expire. Oftentimes, they cannot be fixed and if the original owner did not return or exchange the product, than the product may still pose a danger to children. If you are concerned about whether a product is safe for your child, check online or discard the item altogether.
Sign Up For Safety Recalls
An easy way to ensure that parents can access the latest kids’ safety recalls is by signing up for automatic recall information via email at the Safe Kids Worldwide consumer advocacy website. Their automatic recall notification system compiles up-to-date information about recalled products as announced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Food and Drug Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Nearly one million children die each year from preventable injuries. Parents need to remain vigilant and stay informed. Many product injuries are life-threatening and can easily be prevented.
Missouri Defective Products Lawyers Peterson & Associates, P.C.
If your child has been injured by a dangerous children’s toy or product, contact the dangerous products lawyers at Peterson & Associates, P.C. For decades, the firm’s litigators have been helping families like yours get the justice that they deserve.