Injuries Caused by Defective Toys (How They Happen and What To Do About Them)

When you buy your child a new toy, you expect it to be safe. You never expect a dangerous child’s toy to make it through the design, manufacturing, and production processes. If it does though, dangerous toys can put children at risk of painful and expensive injuries. If a child is injured by a toy, it can be confusing trying to figure out who’s responsible.

What is a Dangerous Toy?

A dangerous child’s toy is a toy that contains a design or manufacturing defect that causes the user harm. It may also include a toy that doesn’t contain the proper safety warnings or directions for safe use. When a child’s toy is considered to be dangerous, it often includes one of the following defects:

• Design defect: A design defect means the danger is in the way the toy is designed. This means that even when the toy is assembled correctly, and used as it’s intended to be used, it still poses a danger to children.
• Manufacturing defect: A manufacturing defect means the toy is designed to be safe, but the manufacturing process has caused it to be unsafe. This may include using the wrong materials or failing to safety check the product.
• Marketing defect: A marketing defect occurs when the product is designed and manufactured correctly, but the marketing fails to inform consumers how to safely use it.

Knowing the different types of defects can help you identify a dangerous toy, and who’s responsible for the injuries it causes. Each step in the product development process is designed to undergo extensive testing and quality control. However, if any of the steps are skipped, it can lead to the production of dangerous toys.

Common Dangerous Toy Injuries

The specific type of injury that a child experiences from a dangerous toy depends on the type of toy, and the defect. A few common dangerous toy injuries may include chemical burns, choking, concussions, electric shock, eye or face injuries, head and brain injuries, or ingestion of harmful product materials.

How to Keep Your Child Safe When Choosing Toys

Some children’s toys can be dangerous, even without design or manufacturing defects. For that reason, most companies place a recommended age on the toy. Following these age recommendations can ensure that your child is ready to play with that type of toy. Additionally, toys are commonly recalled, and checking the recall list can help you keep these toys out of your household.

You can learn more about children’s toy recalls on the Consumer Product Safety Commission recall list. The company updates this list as new dangerous toys are added to it for safety concerns. It can be helpful to get in the habit of checking this list not only when you buy new toys for your child, but also when family or friends buy toys for them.

Was Your Child Injured Due to a Dangerous Toy?

Pursuing legal action may be one of the last things on your mind after your child is injured from a toy. However, once you receive medical care and report the dangerous toy, it may be worth it to reach out to a lawyer to evaluate your options.

Contact an Edison Personal Injury Lawyer to Discuss Your Product Injury Case in New Jersey

Did you or a loved one sustain serious injuries due to a defective product in New Jersey? Don’t let the medical bills pile up while you wait for the negligent party or their insurance company to do the right thing. Right now, you need an aggressive personal injury attorney on your side, fighting to get you the compensation you need, want, and deserve. The skilled attorneys at Lombardi and Lombardi, P.A. represent clients injured because of dangerous toys in Edison, Woodbridge, Old Bridge, Piscataway, and throughout New Jersey. Call (732) 906-1500 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free consultation about your case. We have an office conveniently located at 1862 Oak Tree Road, Edison, NJ 08820, as well as offices in Brick, Freehold, and Point Pleasant Beach, NJ.

The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.