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Toys to avoid giving this holiday season

Posted in Accident & Injury on December 10, 2018

The last thing people want to do this holiday is spend money on a gift for someone that causes serious injuries – especially to children. Unfortunately, it can and does happen: Every three minutes, a child goes to the hospital with toy-related injuries. As such, avoiding defective or potentially dangerous toys this holiday will be crucial.

Groups like World Against Toys Causing Harm, Inc., (WATCH) put together a list of the worst toys of the year to make it easier to avoid dangerous products.

The list from WATCH includes:

  • Nickelodeon character “Pillow Pets Sleeptime Lites”
  • Nerf Praxis Blaster gun
  • Marvel Black Panther Slash Claw
  • Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel Superstar Blade
  • Cabbage Patch Kids Dance Time Doll
  • Zoo Jamz Xylophone
  • Miniclara the Ballerina
  • Stomp Rocket Ultra Rocket
  • Cutting Fruit
  • Pull-Along Dog

The toys on the list reportedly have a number of different hazards that could potentially cause harm to children, from choking and strangulation risks to battery acid leakage and eye injuries.

Defective vs. dangerous

It is important to note that these toys are not necessarily defective, and there are no recalls involving them. However, they can still be harmful to children, so it may be wise to consider other options.

That said, if a toy or any other product fails to work properly or does not include adequate warnings, it could be defective. Under these circumstances, injured parties may be eligible for compensation for damages suffered.

Protect yourself and others

However, it is not always easy to distinguish what makes a product defective. Therefore, if you have any questions about a potentially defective item and whether you may have grounds for a legal claim, you can discuss your case with an attorney.

And if you want to be especially cautious and avoid buying any toys or products that have been deemed defective and recalled, you can visit the Consumer Product Safety Commission website for information on recalls and product hazards.