When children receive gifts for Halloween or the upcoming winter holidays, the new toys and other presents should bring nothing but joy to the home. Unfortunately, sometimes toys turn out to be dangerous and they actually put children at risk of serious injury or even death.
An Atlanta defective products lawyer knows that the number of toy recalls have been declining in recent years, as safety efforts have improved and dangerous toys are more often identified before they are actually released to the public. However, risky toys could still make it onto store shelves. When kids receive gifts for Halloween or other holidays, parents need to be aware of how to check for recalls and should make sure that these new toys are safe before kids start playing.
Recalled Toy Dangers for Kids
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has made a strong effort in recent years to try to stop dangerous toys from being sold before kids receive these items and are put at risk. There is a toy safety system in place that requires all toys sold in the U.S. to undergo testing from independent laboratories located worldwide. If a shipment of toys comes to this country that has not been tested or that does not meet the required safety standards, the shipment will be stopped in port.
Over the past five years alone, U.S. Customs has worked with the CPSC to stop more than 9.8 million units of defective toys from coming into the U.S. More than 3,000 different types of toys were stopped in port.
Unfortunately, despite the success at keeping these dangerous toys out, some high-risk items have made it to the marketplace. In 2013, for example, a total of 31 toy recalls occurred. This was a significant reduction from the 172 toy recalls that happened over the course of the 2008 year. It is important to realize that this does not necessarily mean toy manufacturers are doing better; just that testing and screening are catching problems before the toys are sold.
The CPSC’s metrics focus on many different things, including the amount of lead that is in a toy. This helps to explain why there were no toys recalled due to excess lead in 2012, but there were 19 toys recalled in 2008 because of problems with too much lead in them.
Any time a dangerous toy reaches the marketplace, there is a risk of injury or death. In 2010, for example, there were 19 deaths due to toy defects. In 2011, there were 11 fatalities. In 2012, the number of deaths is expected to be higher as a result of the fact that more people are now reporting fatalities.
Parents need to know the risks and when a child receives a toy this Halloween or for other winter holidays, parents should check to determine if the toy has been recalled or not. The website of the Consumer Product Safety Commission provides information on the latest recalls and makes it possible for parents to look up whether their child may have received any gift that has been subject to a recall.
Have You Been Injured By A Defective Product?
If you or a loved one has been injured due to a faulty product you need to speak with an experienced defective product attorney as soon as possible. Please contact us online or call our office directly at (800) 234-9556 to schedule your free consultation.