Few things bring Louisiana greater joy than toy shopping near the holiday season. Few realize just how dangerous this can be, though. Dangerous and defective toys can injure and even kill children, turning what is supposed to be a happy occasion into something much darker.
It can be difficult for some parents and children to think of toys as anything other than a fun product. If you are a parent who is eager to limit your child’s screen time, buying a fun new toy might even seem the best possible idea. The reality is that many toys and other items aimed toward infants and children are inherently dangerous and should not be on the market.
Children are suffering
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission — CPSC — between 2018 and 2021, toys injured approximately 226,100 children under the age of 15 and killed another 17. Children are one of the most vulnerable population groups, and yet something created and marketed toward them is actively causing harm. For a parent, this can be one of the most upsetting realizations.
Data from Nationwide Children’s helps highlight just how frequent these accidents happen. This organization reports that emergency rooms treat children and teens for toy-related injuries every three minutes. Even one trip caused by a defective toy is too many.
Danger differs, depending on age
Infants, toddlers, children and teens all face different risks. For example, younger children are at a higher risk for choking on small parts and toys. Older children are more likely to suffer injuries on moving toys like wagons and scooters. Other items that may pose a threat include:
- Baby cribs
- Bicycle helmets
- Sports equipment
Children deserve to engage with the full experience of childhood. When a manufacturer creates a defective toy or baby product, they are limiting a child’s ability to safely experience his or her childhood to the fullest. For some children, the emotional trauma can even last long after the remedy of physical injuries.
Too little, too late
Toy companies often wait to issue recalls for defective and dangerous toys until it is too late. To complicate things further, many consumers do not receive news of recalls in a timely manner if at all. This means that, while parents might do their best to select the most entertaining and safest toys, they could still expose their children to dangerous toys.
Families in Florida should be able to feel safe in their own homes. Dangerous and defective toys violate that feeling of safety and can cause serious, long-term harm. Parents who hold negligent manufacturers and companies responsible for their actions via product liability suits are often eager to not only secure compensation for their children, but to also effect change that may protect other children in the future.