Osprey Recalls Child Carrier Backpacks that Pose a Fall Hazard

As the parent of two small children, I am always concerned about faulty equipment that fails and puts kids at risk of injury and even death. We expect this equipment to be designed to maximum safety standards, but sadly it’s not always the case. The latest piece of equipment to be recalled is backpack carriers that pose a fall hazard.

Injuries and deaths to children are among the most tragic things we see as Virginia personal injury lawyers. When recalls are issues we do our utmost to get the word out.

Often these dangers are entirely unforeseen. Who would have thought Graco would have put baby strollers on the market that posed a finger amputation hazard? But the number of fingertip injuries from Graco strollers reached double figures before a recent recall.This week Osprey, the manufacturer of child carrier backpacks, issued a recall. The Consumer Product Safety Commission details the concerns over the carriers.

The recall involves the Poco AG, Poco AG Plus and Poco AG Premium models of nylon carrier. The full details of the production date codes are contained in the recall notice. The name of the model is printed on the back at the bottom.

Unlike the Graco strollers, there have been no reports of injuries to date. Parents have been warned to look out for cuts in the plastic buckle on one or both straps that can lead to a failure and to an infant to fall out. If you find that the buckle has a cut in it, you should immediately stop using the carrier and contact Osprey to get a free replacement or a full refund. You can also contact the manufacturer to give you a replacement.

The carriers are sold at REI, which has a Virginia Beach store, and on Amazon.com and are made in Vietnam. Earlier this month, Twin Go also recalled a line of similar child carriers because a waist buckle could break, leading to possible falls.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is the federal agency that’s responsible for protecting members of the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of numerous types of consumer products. On its website, CPSC says failures of consumer product incidents cost the U.S. more than $1 trillion every year.

CPSC issues recalls of household or other products that pose a child safety, fire, electrical, mechanical or chemical hazard. It is not involved in regulating cars which fall under the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). CPSC has forced some high profile recalls on manufacturers in recent years with regard to dangerous toys, cribs and cigarette lighters.

Under federal it’s illegal to sell any products that have been subject to a publicly-announced voluntary recall by either a manufacturer or a mandatory recall by the CPSC.

If you are aware of a dangerous product, call CPSC’s Hotline at 800-638-2772. If you or a loved one has been injured by a dangerous product, you may be able to sue the manufacturer or a distributor or a retailer. Please call Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers at (757) 333-3333.