Stork Craft Drop-side Crib Recall Highlights Flaw in Preventing Defective Products

K.C. Bouchillon — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:35:52 GMT

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has finally recalled more than 2 million Stork Craft drop-side cribs that have caused numerous injuries and deaths to babies for more than a decade.

The head of the CPSC admitted that the government watchdog for product safety failed to move quickly enough to recall the deadly cribs, which have been on the market since 1993.

Unfortunately, too many consumers assume that just because a product has not been the subject of a recall, it is not defective. That is far from the truth. As the crib recall demonstrates, it sometimes takes hundreds of incidents and years of attention before the government finally acts.

The lesson: be your own watchdog, particularly when it comes to your loved ones. Manufacturers often cut corners to increase profits, which puts you at risk. Inspect products with a critical eye. See if the parts function properly with heavy use. Look for cheap materials used in construction of the product. Do online research to see if there have been reported incidents with the product, or lawsuits pointing out defects in the product.

The crib recall is a classic example: by using cheap plastic parts that easily break and deform, dozens of infants have been injured, and many killed, after getting trapped and suffocating in these cribs, which were also sold under the Fisher-Price logo. Despite scores of reported incidents, the manufacturer did nothing, except continue to rake in profits while more children were injured and killed.

Don't assume that a product manufacturer is looking out for your best interest. If you or someone you know has been injured or killed as a result of a defective product, give me a call.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by K.C. Bouchillon

Central Florida Personal Injury Lawyer - Defective & Dangerous Products

Stork Craft Drop-side Crib Recall Highlights Flaw in Preventing Defective Products