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We think of baby strollers as being equipment intended to safeguard infants. I was, therefore, shocked to read about a recall of nearly five million Graco baby strollers which are being pulled off the market due to “fingertip amputation hazard.”
It’s not just a theoretical problem. News reports alluded to 11 recorded fingertip injuries including six reports of fingertip amputations, four reports of partial-fingertip amputation and one finger laceration.
As if the recall was not bad enough, an ABC news investigation found, as in the case of many recalls, large numbers of the defective products will end up back on the market.
In a recent article we highlighted the delays in car repairs that means potential death trap cars subject to recalls, are still on the roads of America.
The recall was announced on Nov. 20 by the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC). It affects 11 models of Graco strollers made from August 2000 to September 2014 – about 4.7 million strollers in the U.S., in excess of 200,000 in Canada and 10,300 in Mexico. Owners of the listed strollers should contact Graco “immediately” to get a free repair kit. Before the kits arrive, they should “exercise extreme care” when unfolding and using the stroller. An official from the commission told ABC News the fix is “very easy to install” and if parents can safely engage the lock, they can use the stroller until the new hinge cover arrives.
Recalls have plagued the car industry this year and the Graco problem reveals how other manufacturers also have issues with defective products. The ABC News “20/20” investigation, airing Friday, found that most recalled products are not turned in or even fixed, remaining in homes or listed for sale.
“Under current federal law, there is no minimum effort that manufacturers have to make, or money they have to spend, to get the word out about the safety recalls,” ABC stated.
While is illegal to sell a recalled product, a joint investigation with 17 ABC News affiliates across the nation found there are a wide range of recalled products easily available for resale.
“We need to solve this problem and we need as much energy and as much participation from all different aspects we can,” Elliot Kaye, the head of the CPSC, told ABC News. He said often manufacturers only pay “lip service to safety and fail to spend the money necessary to make sure their recalls are widely known by American families.”
“We need industry to do more, and we certainly need more done on the tech side, and so be able to get these minds, who are so creative, to commit to working in this space really can make a difference.”
These findings are very disturbing to me as an experienced Virginia injury lawyer. Product liability lawsuits can take many forms. If you have been hurt by a drug, a device, a car part or your child has suffered an injury, call us at 757.455.0077 for a free consultation.