Bernard Law Group's blog

Using Child Safety Seats the Right Way

Most of us understand the importance of placing children in car seats, especially younger children. However, a number of studies show that 80 percent of children are not secured correctly in a car seat. Every Seattle personal injury attorney knows that these are mistakes that could seriously injure your child, but these are also mistakes that can be easily avoided.

First of all, parents need to remember the basic rules. Infants must be in a rear-facing infant seat until they are 1-year-old and 20 pounds. After that, toddlers can use a forward facing seat until they are about 40 pounds. After that, children over 40 pounds should be placed a booster seat until they are at least 8 year old, weigh 80 pounds and are 4 feet 5 inches tall. Also, all children should sit in the back seat until they are 12 years old.

But there are several mistakes that are commonly made, although we may have the right seat for our children. Securing the seat incorrectly in your car or not securing the child properly can cause serious injuries in the event of a crash. Here are a few common mistakes that can be easily avoided:

• Having harness straps too loose or in the wrong position
• Having a harness chest clip in the wrong position
• Not locking the seat belt properly with the locking clip, retractor or locking latch plate.
• Not securing the car seat correctly, by either using the wrong seat belt path or not making the seatbelts tight enough.
• Placing an infant seat in the path of an airbag

If you are purchasing your car seat second-hand or in a yard sale, do your research and make sure that the car seat is not included in a defective product recall. If your child has been injured as a result of a defective car seat, contact an experienced products liability lawyer who can give you more information about your legal rights.

Call The Bernard Law Group for a FREE, comprehensive and completely confidential consultation at 1-800-418-8282 or e-mail us at info@bernardlawgroup.com. We can also send you our FREE brochure about Washington product defect cases, which has useful, educational information to help you understand your rights. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his skilled legal team today.

CYBEX Strollers Recalled for Fingertip Amputation Hazard

Regal Lager Inc. has issued a product defect recall for about 1,200 CYBEX brand strollers because of fingertip amputation and laceration hazards. According to a news report in Consumeraffairs.com, the stroller's hinge mechanism could cause children's fingertips to get cut when the stroller is being opened or closed. This defective product recall involves Ruby, Onyx and Topaz models of umbrella strollers. The recalled strollers were made in China and sold at stores nationwide between August 2009 and November 2009 for between $140 and $260. Those who have these strollers at home would be well-advised to stop using them and contact the company to receive a free hinge cover.

This is the third identical recall of such strollers issued over the last few months by different stroller manufacturers. In January, children's products manufacturer, Graco, recalled nearly 1.5 million strollers after the company got several reports of fingertip amputations caused by the defective hinges. Similarly, in November, Maclaren recalled about 1 million strollers for a similar problem. There is no question that these are dangerous product defects that can result in serious injuries and possibly, permanent disfigurement.

If you have been injured as a result of any of these recalled strollers with defective hinges, please contact an experienced products liability attorney with The Bernard Law Group for a FREE, comprehensive and completely confidential consultation. Please call us at 1-800-418-8282 or e-mail us at info@bernardlawgroup.com. We can also send you our FREE informational brochure about Washington product defect cases, which has useful, educational information to help you understand your rights. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his skilled legal team today.

Source: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/recalls04/2010/cybex.html

Defective Play Yards Recalled for Suffocation Hazard

Dorel Juvenile Group is recalling about 213,000 Safety 1st Disney Care Center play yards as well as Eddie Bauer Complete Care play yards because of a suffocation hazard for young children. According to a news report, the one-piece metal bars supporting the floorboard of the bassinet attachment can come out of the fabric sleeves. This defect creates an uneven sleeping surface, thus posing a risk of suffocation or positional asphyxiation. These defective play yards were apparently manufactured in China and sold at large retailers nationwide including Babies "R" Us, Kmart, Sears, Target and Wal-Mart from January 2007 through October 2009 for between $100 and $130. If you own one of these defective play yards, please stop using the bassinet attachment immediately and contact Dorel for a free repair kit.

There have been numerous problems involving children's product manufactured in China. Cribs, toddler beds, bassinets and play yards – millions of them – have been recalled over the last two years. Several children – infants and toddlers – have suffocated to death as a result of these defective beds.

If your child has been seriously injured as a result of these or other defective products, please contact an experienced Seattle personal injury attorney with The Bernard Law Group for a FREE, comprehensive and completely confidential consultation. Please call us at 1-800-418-8282 or e-mail us at info@bernardlawgroup.com. We can also send you our FREE informational brochure about Washington product defect cases, which has useful, educational information to help you understand your rights. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his skilled legal team today.

Source: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/recalls04/2009/dorel_playyard.html

Recalled Defective Baby Hammocks Caused Two Infant Deaths

A company called Amby Baby issued a defective product recall for 24,000 of its motion bed hammocks, after two infants suffocated to death in them. According to a Consumeraffairs.com report, federal officials say the tilting or shifting motion of the hammock can cause the infant to roll and become entrapped or wedged against the hammock's fabric or mattress pad. So far two fatalities have been reported in connection with these product defects. One involved a 4-month-old baby girl in Georgia and another involved a 5-month-old boy from Oregon.

These recalled hammocks consist of a steel frame and a fabric hammock that are connected together by a large spring and metal crossbar. These products were manufactured in China and were sold only online at Ambybaby.com and other retailers online between January 2003 and October 2009 for about $250. Consumers are asked to stop using these motion beds immediately and contact the company for a free repair kit.

If you or a loved one has been injured by a product defect, you can file a product liability lawsuit seeking compensation to cover medical expenses, lost wages (where applicable), pain and suffering, emotional distress and other damages. If a defective product caused a fatality, the family of the victim can file a wrongful death claim.

If your loved one has been seriously injured by a defective product, please contact a reputed Seattle personal injury lawyer at The Bernard Law Firm to find out about your legal rights and options. Please call us at 1-800-418-8282 or e-mail us at info@bernardlawgroup.com to schedule your FREE, comprehensive and confidential consultation. We can also send you our FREE informational brochure about Washington product defect cases, which has useful, educational information that will help you better understand your rights. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his experienced legal team today.

Source: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/recalls04/2009/amby_baby.html