Rosenbaum & Rosenbaum, P.C. | April 1, 2013 | Products Liability

In New York and elsewhere, parents are eager to give the children fun and exciting new toys, either to play with or to stimulate the growing mind. For many small children, the best toys are brightly-colored and emit intriguing sounds. Unfortunately, not all toys meant for children are safe, and parents should be aware of the dangers of a defective product. Recently, one toy was recalled after concerns the fun item may be a dangerous product for children.

West Music has voluntarily recalled more than 6,000 toy instruments after safety concerns were raised about the product. The company sold Basic Beat Egg Shakers through their catalog, website and Amazon.com from July through October of last year. The recall comes after the company received complaints that the top of the egg-shaped instrument came off, creating a choking or breathing hazard. The toy instrument was created for children as young as three years old.

When toys, strollers, food or other children’s products harm children, their parents may file a product liability claim against the manufacturer, supplier or retailer of the product. Parents may receive compensation if the child was seriously injured or even died as a result of the dangerous product. Product liability claims may be based on a variety of factors, including defective design of the product, a glitch in the manufacturing of the product, the unsafe packaging of the product or insufficient warning labels on the product.

All parents want to provide their children with the newest and most interesting toys. However, sometimes it is just not possible for busy parents to be aware of all possible toy-related hazards. While mothers and fathers should still carefully consider which toys to give, they can seek a legal expert’s advice when a toy company failed to exercise caution on their end.

Source: Huffington Post, “Basic Beat egg shaker recall: West Music recalls 6,500 toys due to choking hazards,” March 27, 2013