At Tauber Law Office, a slogan we often use is “We May Meet by Accident.”
While we would rather meet you under happier circumstances, the reality is that we are always there for people who have suffered through the fault of others – whether it be a car or truck crash, or victim of a dangerous product.
This time, we bring you a caution about baby walkers, commonly found in many homes where there is an infant in the family.
They were presumed safe for years.
Now, a newly released study by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says the walkers are to blame for more than 230,000 babies ending up in the emergency room between 1990 and 2014.
More than 90 percent of those were head or neck injuries. Three out of four happened when the infants fell down stairs while in one of those walkers. Walkers also give young children access to environments and objects that they might not otherwise be able to reach. This can result injuries from such actions as touching a hot oven door, grabbing sharp objects, or ingesting household poisons.
The number of kids hurt by walkers has dropped significantly since passage of federal safety standards in 2010, but about 2,000 were still hurt by them in 2014.
Today’s walkers are safer, but they are still hazardous and of no benefit to the baby according to the AAP. In fact, baby walkers have been prohibited in Canada since April 7, 2004. It is illegal to import, advertise for sale, or sell baby walkers in Canada.
Despite product warning labels, campaigns to educate parents, and the recommendation by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) for a ban on the manufacture and sale of infant walkers, many families continue to purchase and use these devices.
Many of these walkers are manufactured by reputable companies who have done all they can to assure their safety. However, if your youngster was injured by a walker that can be proven defective, you may have a case to seek damages.
Contact Tauber Law Offices if you believe someone in your family has been injured by a baby walker, or any other type of defective product. We will listen to you carefully and decide if we think you have a case. If so, we will represent you aggressively. There is never a charge for the initial consultation.
