Massachusetts Personal Injury Library
How Can We Protect our Children From Harmful Toys?
As parents, we want to protect our children from all harm. Unfortunately, sometimes the very toys we buy could injure them. What can parents do to be aware of and guard against injury from dangerous toys?
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has resources available for parents.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission keeps statistics of child related deaths and injuries from unsafe products. According to the CPSC 73% or 170,100 of injuries were to children under 15 years of age, and 34% or 80,200 injuries were to children under age 5. The records kept by CPSC for 2007 indicate that there were 18 toy-related deaths among children under 15 years of age. Riding toy accidents and small toy balls obstructing the airways were associated with the most deaths. In all there were 232,900 toy related injuries among all ages in 2007. This statistic shows an increase from 218,000 injuries in 2003 to the 232,900 in 2007. The CPSC warns parents that these are deaths and injuries associated with toys, but not necessarily caused by toys.
The CPSC urges parents to keep safety in mind when choosing toys for young children. The commission requires labels to be on all toys marketed for children from 3 years old up to 6 years old if the toys pose a choking hazard to children under 3. The labels tell consumers that a toy is not safe for young children and why it is not safe.
The commission offers consumers the following tips for safe toy buying:
- Select toys to suit the age, abilities, and interest level of the intended child. Toys too advanced may pose safety hazards to young children;
- For infants, and all children who still mouth objects, avoid toys with small parts that could pose a fatal choking hazard;
- For all children under 8, avoid toys that have sharp edges and points;
- Do not purchase electric toys with heating elements for children under 8; and
- Immediately discard plastic wrapping on toys because it can cause suffocation.
The CPSC has resources available on their website for parents to check to see if a toy has been recalled either by the manufacturer or by the government because it is defective or unsafe.
For over 30 years The Kiley Law Group, located in Andover and Boston, Massachusetts, has fought on behalf of children. Our Boston defective product lawyers take time when speaking with you about your child's accident and injuries. The Kiley Law Group works with you on a contingency basis, which means there are NO FEES unless our trained child injury attorneys win your case. Contact us today for a FREE legal consultation – (888) 208-1695
