Law Office of Lowell Steiger

Category: Child Safety


Power Windows: Danger to Children

Author: Lowell Steiger

Published On: November 3, 2009

This morning I read a very common-sense article in the New York Times entitled Power Windows Pose Great Risk to Children, Says Consumer Group. It piqued my interest so I decided to look a little further into the issue. It makes logical sense that, absent safety precautions, power windows are potentially quite dangerous. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates 1,995 power window related injuries (mostly minor) and six deaths per year. Janette Fennell, president of KidsAndCars.org disputes these numbers saying that her phone and Internet surveys indicate that there have been about 13.6 million power window related injuries over an unspecified… Read More

Paper Shredders Putting Kids and Pets at Risk of Major Injury

Author: Lowell Steiger

Published On: January 25, 2009

Yesterday I received an e-mail from a parent whose young child lost 3 fingers in a home paper shredder. It happened in a flash. The poor mother did everything she could to save the child’s little fingers but, alas, to no avail. Fingers are no match for the blades of a paper shredder. The fault of the parent? I think not. Can she sue someone for the injuries sustained by her child? Yes. Should she sue someone for the injuries sustained by her child? Yes. Read on. Manufacturers of paper shredders, whether for home or business use, are aware of the potential dangers of… Read More

Jett Travolta: The Tragic Death of John Travolta’s Boy

Author: Lowell Steiger

Published On: January 4, 2009

It was with great sadness that I read the news of the tragic and untimely passing of 16 year old Jett Travolta, son of John Travolta and Kelly Preston. Apparently, the boy suffered from Kawasaki Disease which is a childhood ailment. How did he die? No one really knows yet but the current conventional wisdom is that young Jett suffered regularly from seizures and that, on this occasion, he fell and hit his head during one of those seizures. Various news reports state that he was attended to by nannies but was left unattended this one time. Again, we do not know… Read More

Product Recalls: Protect Your Children and Family from Danger

Author: Lowell Steiger

Published On: December 18, 2008

Protect Your Children and Loved Ones This Holiday Season The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission publishes a monthly newsletter listing recalls and product safety news. The November 2008 list of recalls is quite daunting indeed. Below is the list replete with links for further details: Stainless Steel Pots Recalled by Ocean State Jobbers Due to Burn Hazard In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Ocean State Jobbers Inc., of North Kingstown, R.I., is voluntarily recalling about 7,000 Century Cookware Stainless Steel Stockpots. The stainless steel pots have metal handles that can detach during use, posing a serious burn hazard… Read More

Ikea Product Recalls, Pays $500,000 Penalty: Candles; Blinds Lead to Death

Author: Lowell Steiger

Published On: December 18, 2008

kea Outdoor Candles Leads to Recall, $500,000 Penalty The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recently announced dangers in two separate Ikea products:Ikea Outdoor Candles: IKEA sold about 133,000 six-pack sets of the outdoor candles in the United States between February 2001 and July 2005. The firm also sold an additional 1.3 million candle sets internationally. During that time, the firm received at least 32 reports worldwide of unexpected flare-ups, including fire, scorching and twelve reported injuries, including minor to serious burns. In May 2006, CPSC and IKEA announced the recall of the candles. IKEA North America Services LLC, of Conshohocken, Pa., has… Read More

Infant Swimming Resource: Aquatic Survival of Babies, Prevent Drowning

Author: Lowell Steiger

Published On: December 17, 2008

A client of mine sent me a link to Infant Swimming Resource. What an incredible resource. Their site has beautiful videos of infants swimming and infants saving themselves after falling in a pool. From their site: Welcome to Infant Swimming Resource – South Mountain with Certified ISR Drowning Prevention Specialist Casey Bunn. ISR is the most comprehensive drowning prevention program. As a part of ISR, Casey Bunn is dedicated to the eradication of the drowning epidemic facing our children. The ISR mission is to get to the next child before that child gets to the water. The reality of infant and child… Read More

Exploding Gas Can Injures Child: Wal-Mart May Be On The Hook

Author: Lowell Steiger

Published On: April 13, 2008

I read a fascinating story in the Torts Law Blog wherein Wal-Mart, based on their own training videos, knew or should have known of the potential danger of explosion in a particular gas can sold by them. Ultimately, that gas can exploded when a 12 year old boy “poured gasoline from the container onto a pile of wet wood he had been trying to light, and the can exploded.” From my perspective as a personal injury attorney who has handled many cases where injuries occur as a result of a faulty product (see, for example, The Case of the Exploding Wine Bottle), it… Read More

Toyota, GM Recall 662,000 Cars: Power Window Defects

Author: Lowell Steiger

Published On: April 10, 2008

DETROIT (Reuters) April 10, 2008 – Toyota Motor Corp and General Motors Corp are recalling more than 662,000 vehicles sold in the United States due to defects in power windows, the two companies said on Wednesday. Toyota will recall 539,500 Corolla and Matrix vehicles for the 2003 and 2004 model years, it said in a statement. GM said it would recall 122,598 Pontiac Vibe hatchbacks, which share the same platform with Toyota’s Matrix and are built by GM in a joint venture with the Japanese automaker. On vehicles equipped with power windows, the driver and front passenger glass bolts may… Read More

Spinal Cord Injury More Frequent in Children with Seat Belt Injuries

Author: Lowell Steiger

Published On: August 13, 2007

Medical News Today reports that Spinal Injuries Are More Frequent in Children With Seat Belt Injuries. If the link to the article is inactive, you can click here to access the Adobe Acrobat version of the article. The article states, in part, that “Ill-fitting seat belts raise the risk of serious injury to children involved in car accidents. And seat belt injuries should alert physicians to look for signs of more serious consequences, particularly spinal cord injury, which is not always immediately apparent. “Unless physicians are diligent, spinal-cord injuries are hard to diagnose in children. In the event of a car accident, seat belt… Read More

Product Recalls, July 2007: Toys, Lawn Equipment, More

Author: Lowell Steiger

Published On: August 3, 2007

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has published the July 2007 product recalls. Many, many products have been recalled but I am posting some here that I think may be of particular interest: Pottery Barn Kids Crib Bumpers Due to Entanglement Hazard Black & Decker Trimmers/Edgers Due to Laceration Hazard from Projectiles CVS/pharmacy Recalls Playskool Sippy Cups; Poses Choking Hazard To Young Children New Easy-Bake Oven Following Partial Finger Amputation Payless ShoeSource Recalls Children’s Clog Shoes Due to Choking Hazard The Law Office of Lowell Steiger represents injury victims. Free consultation.

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