For children, little is more exciting than getting a new toy. Unfortunately, children’s toys can lead to serious injuries and even death. The Children’s Safety Network estimates that children suffered over a million toy-related injuries between 2015 and 2018. If your child was injured or killed in an accident involving a defective or dangerous toy, you may be interested in learning about your legal options. In some cases, a product liability claim may hold a negligent toy manufacturer accountable for a child’s injury or death as well as recover financial compensation for damages.
Toy Manufacturers are Held to High Safety Standards
The Consumer Product Safety Act is designed to protect consumers from dangerous or defective products. Product designers, manufacturers, and distributors must ensure that their products do not present an unreasonable risk of injury or death to consumers. When the intended user of a product is a child, the stakes are especially high. Many toys intended for young children must be tested for safety and certified before they reach store shelves. Toys that are most commonly associated with child injuries include:
- Tricycles, scooters, skateboards, and other riding toys
- Balls
- Balloons
- Toy cars
- Building sets
- Stuffed animals
- Action figures
Do I Have a Claim?
Many toy-related injuries are minor and do not require extensive medical treatment. However, toy-related accidents can also lead to severe injuries including burns, broken bones, choking, strangulation, and poisoning. Tragically, some toy accidents are fatal. It can be hard to know for sure when a child’s injury or death is the fault of a toy designer or manufacturer. Product liability claims often involve one of three types of defects:
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