Dangerous and Defective Strollers Injure Thousands of Children Every Year

Many people are quick to blame parents for children’s injuries. Yet often, the parents are not to blame. Defective products such as toys, cribs, and baby carriers can cause children serious injuries.

If a defective product is to blame, a parent can sue the manufacturer or anyone else in the chain of distribution, seeking compensation for their child’s injuries. If a product is defective, it generally is defective by its design or has a defect in how it was made when it was manufactured. For example, a defective design might exist when a product has an unreasonably dangerous design, such as a stroller that too easily tips over. A manufacturing design might exist when a piece was left out when it was built, thereby creating a danger. A product could also be defective because the safety warnings are inadequate to warn the consumer of a potential danger associated with the product.

New Study Shows Injury Risk Posed by Strollers and Baby Carriers

A new study shows that over 17,000 children are treated in emergency rooms every year for stroller and baby carrier-related injuries. According to one news source, the study, conducted by the Center for Injury Research and Policy at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital, looked at emergency room visits from 1990 to 2010. It found that over these years, almost 361,000 children had been treated for such injuries. This equates to about two children an hour, or around 50 children per day.

The study found that most of these injuries were head injuries, which could potentially have long-term consequences for children. The majority of injuries occurred when a stroller or carrier tipped over, and children fell out. One of the authors explained that while the products can be used safely, injuries can result and can be very serious. About 25 percent of children experienced traumatic brain injuries or concussions in stroller injuries. Over 30 percent experienced such injuries in carrier injuries. Also, over the years, stroller-related brain injuries doubled, and carrier-related brain injuries tripled.

Attorney Ken Moll of Moll Law Group pointed out that many of the injuries are caused by products that have been recalled in the past or that will be recalled in the future. He explained that over the years, safety standards have improved. However, many of these old products are still being sold. For example, many products are sold online that cannot be sold in stores because they do not meet updated safety guidelines, he explained. To illustrate this fact, over the course of the study, 43 strollers and 13 infant carriers were recalled for injury risks.

Attorney Moll recalled a tragic case in which a child had been sitting in a stroller in their parent’s kitchen when the stroller tipped over without warning. The child hit the side of the kitchen counter and subsequently died from a head injury.

“Hopefully government agencies will look at this and say ‘we have to do more,’” Ken Moll said. “And hopefully studies like this will show [manufacturers]: ‘Hey, now you’re aware of the foreseeability of this conduct. It’s happening every day, many times a day, and this is the type of conduct that you have to design around.”

Has Your Child Been Injured?

If your child has been injured, you may have a claim against the stroller or baby carrier manufacturer. Even if the product has not been recalled, you still may have a claim against the manufacturer. The Chicago attorneys at Moll Law Group represent people nationwide in product liability cases and other personal injury claims. We are proud that the outcomes of our cases have spurred changes in laws and policies for the benefit of consumers. Call us at 312-462-1700 or contact us through our online form to set up a free consultation.

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