According to product safety rules and regulations, fall risks are difficulties with certain items that expose the user to the danger of falling off of or owing to the product.
A frequent example of this is a stool with a flaw that causes a person to fall while sitting on it. When it comes to strollers, some might cause the baby to tumble when in use.
These are some examples of falls:
- Tipping hazards;
- Parts collapsing; and
- Problems with the wheels and other moving components.
One kind of stroller fall danger includes models that enable you to add or connect a car or baby seat to the stroller. These stroller models are especially hazardous if the car seat section of the stroller slips off.
Stroller injuries may be severe, resulting in head, neck, spine, and other traumas. These may be hazardous and have long-term consequences for the child.
Defective Stroller Injuries
According to research published in the journal American Pediatrics, about 17,000 kids under age 5 visit the emergency department annually due to stroller or infant-carrying-related accidents.
Many of these injuries and accidents result from simple slips or parental mistakes. Still, many others result from strollers with design flaws, which may lead to claimants bringing faulty stroller suits against irresponsible child product businesses.
Stroller flaws vary from wobbly legs to amputation and laceration risks to disengaged hinges and wheels that come off abruptly.
Hundreds of plaintiffs in recent high-profile faulty stroller cases claim that the primary wheel on their BOB jogging strollers broke off, causing tip-over injuries.
Adults and kids have been injured, with bone fractures, facial injuries, and brain injuries among the most serious.
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission has come under fire for failing to recall the dangerous BOB stroller after receiving 200 recorded consumer complaints about the wheels coming off.
BOB Stroller Mishaps
Several BOB stroller models allegedly injure adults and kids due to a design flaw that enables a quick-release mechanism anchoring the wheel to disengage. A half-turn of the fast release may distinguish between “unsafe” and “safe” clamping force.
Nevertheless, Britax Child Safety, the manufacturer of BOB strollers, declined a 2017 CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) mandatory recall of half a million strollers, claiming that their product satisfied industry child safety requirements.
However, front-wheel incidents continued to occur, resulting in multiple faulty stroller lawsuits against Britax.
Recalls of Stroller Defects
Recalls of various strollers have resulted from problems with quick-release wheels, including recalls of bikes from 18 different manufacturers.
Other recalls that have occurred include:
- In 2014, Graco recalled nearly 4 million Breeze, Aspen, Capri, Glider, Cirrus, Sierra, LiteRider, Kite, Solara, TravelMate, & Sterling model strollers after the folding hinge on the stroller’s sides were found to cause squeezing on child’s fingers, creating cut or amputation dangers;
- Jané Muum products were recalled in 2018 for failing to meet the government’s carriage and stroller criterion because a newborn might slide through the space between the armrest and stroller seat bottom, causing entrapment and strangling concerns; and
- Pacific Cycle recalled their jogging stroller in 2016 due to a rapid release problem.
The Leg Bracket Can Break on Nearly 30,000 Delta All-Terrain Jogging Strollers
Approximately one thousand Combi Shuttle Travel System products were recalled due to the possibility of the car seats disengaging from their stroller frame. These products are safe. However, they should not be used simultaneously.
Britax recalled over half a million BOB Motion and B-Agile strollers due to the car seats’ ability to detach from the frame. Due to a poor attachment method, the design flaw resulted in 26 documented injuries.
Aria Child GB Qbit Lightweight Strollers went under recall due to cut and amputation risks associated with a Folding Side Hinge. The product might fold unexpectedly, causing the child to tumble out.
Mockingbird Recalls 149,000 Strollers Following 8 Child Injuries
In November 2022, around 149,000 Mockingbirds were recalled.
The frame of single-to-double strollers cracked, forcing toddlers to tumble out. When the frame collapsed, at least eight children were hurt.
Cuts, scrapes, and bruises were among the injuries.
From March 2020 through September 2022, the recalled strollers were offered for $395 to $450 at Target stores nationally and online.
Baby Stroller Safety Risks
Baby stroller safety risks include the following:
- Fingers are lacerated or amputated as a result of hinges;
- Entrapment and strangulation under the tray;
- Falling and tipping dangers;
- Wheels with broken tires or wheels that lock up;
- Failure of the safety harness buckle or lock-and-release mechanism;
- Rolling hazards caused by faulty brakes;
- Choking risk due to tiny loose pieces (or biting off foam);
- The fold-up stroller collapses during use; and
- Cracks or breaks in the stroller frame.
Strangulation and Entrapment
Babies under 12 months of age are tiny enough to squeeze through the hole between the tray and the seat bottom if they are not fastened. Unfortunately, the baby’s head may get lodged, resulting in strangling and death.
The industry standard has mandated a greater distance between the seat bottom and tray since January 2008, lessening the danger of strangulation.
However, millions of strollers made before (and some after) this date continue to pose a safety risk.
Amputation of Finger
Many fold-up strollers include hinges on both sides, enabling the stroller to collapse for storage or transit. If the hinges are not completely closed, they may inflict serious lacerations, fractured fingers, or finger amputation in a newborn.
Here are some tips for avoiding finger amputations:
- Ensure the side hinges are properly secured before placing your kid in a stroller; and
- If the stroller collapses while a kid is inside, immediately remove the child and keep their fingers away from the hinges.
Who Is Liable for Stroller Fall Hazard Injuries?
A variety of factors may cause stroller injuries and accidents.
In many circumstances, blame may be traced back to the stroller’s maker or producer. These are often classified as product defect laws and may cover many faults, including manufacturing, design, and warning label flaws. Each situation is unique and may be impacted differently depending on state legislation.
In severe circumstances when a stroller fall danger affects many customers, a stroller recall may be issued to assist in avoiding future injury.
Are Legal Recourses Available for Stroller Injuries and Accidents?
As previously stated, stroller accidents may be severe and more significant owing to the presence of newborns and young children. Legal action may be taken in the event of a fall hazard-related occurrence. These might result in monetary damages being awarded to the harmed party.
The monetary reward may be adequate to cover expenditures such as hospitalization, medical bills, and other expenses. If numerous parties are harmed or damaged by the same product model, many stroller accident cases may be initiated as a class action.
Do I Need a Lawyer to Resolve a Stroller Fall Hazard Incident?
Stroller accidents may entail complicated regulations that need legal action to address. If you need help with a product liability lawsuit, contact a class action lawyer in your region.
Your attorney may give legal counsel and direction for your claim to seek the best possible solution for you. In addition, if you have any questions, your attorney can answer them for you.
