Many children are injured or killed each year in accidents involving unsafe toys. Oftentimes the toys are defective and have been or need to be recalled by the manufacturer due to their risk of harm.
Types of Injuries
Some of the most common injuries from unsafe toys include the following:
- Choking on small parts or components
- Strangulation from loose fabric, string, or rope
- Lead poisoning from ingesting lead-based paint on toys
- Cuts from broken parts made up of plastic or glass
- Punctures from sharp pieces or toy components
- Burns from overheated batteries, electrical toys, flammable materials or toxic materials used in manufacturing
- Eye injuries from small, sharp, or removable parts
- Internal injuries to organs from ingesting small parts or toys, such as magnets.
What are Common Causes of Injuries From Toys?
Although federal organizations maintain high safety standards for manufacturers of children’s products, they are often ignored. Common causes of injuries from toys include issues with the product’s design, manufacturing, or inadequate warning labels.
For example, many toys are cheaply made in facilities with substandard materials to limit costs and provide little to no quality control over the product. As a result, pieces can break or fall off, creating a choking, strangulation, or laceration hazard.
Additionally, in many cases, toy companies fail to conduct safety tests to discover and fix potential hazards or provide adequate labeling that states which age range the toy is intended for and whether there are any risks associated with its use.
As a result, many unsafe toys are released on the market and cause thousands of child injuries each year.
Toy Related Injury Statistics
- Toy-related injuries impact approximately 217,000 children every year.
- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) found that in 2018, the most common types of injuries were lacerations, followed by contusions and/or abrasions.
- Most toy-related injuries do not require hospitalization, but there were 20 reports of toy-related deaths among children in 2005.
- The types of toys responsible for the most injuries are riding toys, such as scooters or tricycles, especially among children aged 14 and under.
- The leading causes of toy-related deaths include suffocation, drowning, and riding toy accidents.
- Riding toy accident injuries are commonly caused by a child falling.
- The face and head are the most commonly injured body parts from unsafe toys.
- Children aged three and under are at the most significant risk of choking injuries.
How to Prevent Injuries from Unsafe Toys
Keep the following safety tips in mind to avoid an injury from an unsafe toy:
- Check the product’s label to ensure a toy is appropriate for your child’s age or developmental stage.
- Read any instructions and warning labels to be sure the toy is used safely and correctly.
- Check the toy for broken parts, small pieces that come off, or magnets that can pose a choking hazard.
- Have your child wear a helmet and knee and elbow pads when on riding toys, such as scooters, bicycles, skateboards, etc.
- Go online regularly to check for product recalls or sign up for email alerts on the website Safe Kids.
If your child has suffered an injury due to an unsafe toy, the manufacturer may be liable. Contact our Minneapolis Products Liability Lawyer, and we will help you hold the wrongful party accountable.
Contact the Minnesota Product Liability Law Firm of Hall Law Personal Injury Attorneys For Help Today
For more information, please contact an experienced product liability lawyer at Hall Law Personal Injury Attorneys to schedule a free initial consultation today. We have three convenient locations in Minnesota, including Minneapolis, St. Cloud, and Edina.
We proudly serve Hennepin County, Stearns County, and its surrounding areas:
Hall Law Personal Injury Attorneys – Minneapolis
825 Nicollet Mall, Suite 615
Minneapolis, MN 55402
(800) 292-1979
Hall Law Personal Injury Attorneys – St. Cloud
1010 W St Germain St # 320
St Cloud, MN 56301
(320) 255-1000
Hall Law Personal Injury Attorneys – Edina
5200 Willson Rd #203
Edina, MN 55424
(952) 697-5560
