Oregon Injury Lawyer Blog
After a seven-year investigation the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced this week that the Graco corporation has agreed to recall an estimated two million strollers manufactured prior to 2007, according to a report in today’s New York Times.
According to the newspaper, the CPSC became concerned that the strollers pose a risk of injuries to children by strangulation, particularly for children under the age of one, because “when left unharnessed, they can crawl through the opening between the seat and stroller tray and become trapped,” the paper reported. In all, four children’s deaths have been linked to the faulty strollers, along with five other incidents in which children were injured after becoming trapped in the strollers. The CPSC, according to the Times, has been investigating the product since the first report of a child’s death in 2003.
Graco is offering customers kits that will allow them to repair the strollers. The company agreed to the voluntary recall at this time “because many more parents were buying and selling secondhand strollers, probably because of the prolonged economic malaise,” the newspaper reported.
Oregon parents who own a Graco stroller should immediately go to the link I’ve provided below to the CPSC’s news release announcing the recall. This gives exact model numbers for the effected strollers, as well as information on the original prices and sale outlets (information that could be crucial in determining whether a 5-8 year old stroller is actually on the list).
While it is good to see the government moving forward, pressing Graco to recall a potentially dangerous product, one might also ask why it took the CPSC seven years to conclude that there was a serious problem with these strollers. Consulting a Portland child injury lawyer should be a top priority for any parent who believes his or her family has been the victim of these faulty strollers. Since the now-recalled strollers have been on the market since 2002, according to the CPSC, it is entirely possible that injuries suffered many years ago can only now be linked to Graco’s defective product. An Oregon personal injury attorney with experience in product recalls and Oregon injuries to children, can help you sort through the complexities of any potential legal action, offering valuable advice as you begin your fight for justice.
AP via The Oregonian: 4 deaths prompt Graco stroller recall
New York Times: Graco Recalls Strollers on Strangulation Concerns
