Tips For Holiday Toy Safety From The Sanders Firm

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At this time of the year, many parents and grandparents are trying to fulfill holiday toy wishes from the children that they wish to delight. But the New York dangerous toy lawyers at The Sanders Firm want to remind you as the holidays approach that safety is always an important consideration where toy purchases are concerned.

Toy-related injuries are on the increase in the past 15 years, according to a report in Clinical Pediatrics. The report provides alarming statistics: a child arrives for treatment at the emergency room every three minutes in the U.S. for an injury related to a toy. Roughly 3.3 million children sustained such injuries between 1990 and 2011, with the annual number of injuries rising 61 percent in those years. Sanders Firm product liability lawyers have seen too many cases involving injured children. We’d like to offer some suggestions for keeping your children safe this winter.

A tip from New York dangerous toy lawyers: avoid these gifts!

First, we’d like to draw your attention to the recent list of the top ten most dangerous toys from World Against Toys Causing Harm (WATCH):

  • “Air Storm Firetek Bow” (Zing)
  • “Ziggle” four-wheeled cycle (Radio Flyer)
  • “Catapencil” (Toysmith)
  • “Alphabet Zoo Rock & Stack Pull Toy” (Skip Hop)
  • “SWAT Electric Machine Gun” (Junxing Toys Industrial Co.)
  • “Wooden Instruments” (sold at Wal-Mart)
  • “Bottle Rocket Party” (Norman & Globus/ScienceWiz)
  • “Lil’ Cutesies-Best Friends” doll (JC Toys Group)
  • “True Legends Orcs Battle Hammer” (sold at Toys R Us)
  • “Colored Hedgehog” plush toy (sold at Toys R Us)

NY toy defect lawyers note that major injury trends in recent years relate to scooters and ride on toys, such as the “Ziggle” listed above. Ride-on toy injuries are more common for children between 2 and 5; choking and strangulation injuries, on the other hand, tend to be of greater risk for children under 2 years of age.

A tip from New York toy defect lawyers: follow this safety checklist

At The Sanders Firm, we’d also like to pass on to you this safety checklist from the Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

When buying a toy:

  • Check the label to make sure that the age limit set by the manufacturer is appropriate and that there are no small parts that could be choking hazards for small children.
  • Buy a helmet, and knee and elbow pads to go with riding toys. Closely supervise children below 8 years of age and take care that they ride only on dry, flat surfaces without the risk of cars.
  • Make sure any toys you purchase have batteries safety encased in child-proof compartments.
  • Make sure that magnets cannot be swallowed: if your child swallows more than one, they could cause great harm.
  • Be aware of recalls. Recalls.gov lists recently recalled toys that should be avoided.

NY child injury attorney available for consultation

Toy manufacturers need to be held accountable for poorly made or misleadingly packaged toys. If you believe that your child has been injured by a defective toy this season, contact a NY product recall attorney from our firm to better understand your legal rights. We offer no-cost, no-obligation consultations. Please call 800-324-7752. Resources

  1. The Fiscal Times, Holiday Shopping Alert: The Most Dangerous Toys for Kids, https://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2014/12/01/Holiday-Shopping-Alert-Most-Dangerous-Toys-Kids
  2. USA Today, Dangerous toys line store shelves this holiday season https://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/nation/2014/12/02/19773089/