Stringent Federal Safety Regulations Make Toys Safer This Holiday Season
Shopping for the perfect toy for the child(ren) in your life is a traditional part of the winter holidays, and now, thanks to stronger federal toy safety rules, grandparents, parents, other relatives, and friends have a great many safe toys to choose from.
Focusing on Child Safety
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), a variety of newly implemented safety standards have made a big difference in protecting children from injuries as the result of dangerous or defective toys. These include:
- Strictly limiting the use of certain phthalates;
- Establishing the lowest worldwide lead paint and lead content limits;
- Requiring third party testing and certification of toys intended for children 12 years old or younger;
- Mandating toy standards that were once voluntary; and
- Tracking toy shipments being imported to the U.S. with the help of Homeland Security, thus increasing seizure of dangerous imported toys.
These standards have created a safer toy market, as proven by the decline of toy recalls since 2008, which had 172. Toy recalls in 2009 further declined to 50; and in 2010, the number of recalls dropped even further to 46. Finally, during the 2011 fiscal year, toy recalls declined to 34. Lower numbers of recalls do not necessarily mean lower numbers of child injuries, however.
Defective Toys Still Endanger Children
Stronger toy safety regulations are a step in the right direction, but dangerous toys that slip through the cracks can still cause serious injury to children. In 2010, unsafe toy-related child deaths increased to 17 for children younger than 15. Furthermore, there were 15 reports of toy-related child deaths in 2009. Almost half of these fatal defective toy accidents involved choking on rubber balls, balloons, and small balls.
How a Dedicated Massachusetts Child Injury Lawyer Can Help
If your child has been injured by a defective or dangerous toy in Massachusetts, you and your child may be entitled to legal action. At the Kiley Law Group, our child injury attorneys in Boston can help you understand your legal rights and advise you on the best course of action for your particular case. To learn more about holding at-fault parties accountable and getting the compensation your family deserves, call us today for a free case evaluation at (888) 208-1695.
