With the holiday season in full swing, nonprofit consumer watchdog group World Against Toys Causing Harm (W.A.T.C.H.) has released its 2015 “10 Worst Toys” list as a means to sway parents away from purchasing dangerous items for their youngsters.
According to W.A.T.C.H., there is an “alarming number” of hazardous toys available in stores and online this year, and that it is incumbent on everyone to avoid these potential dangers.
“10 Worst Toys” according to W.A.T.C.H.
This year’s list of dangerous playthings is relatively diverse, including items ranging from pull-along stuffed toys to child-sized trampolines. The dangers posed by the the group’s selections include choking, strangulation, eye injuries, facial injuries and allergy-related harm.
According to the watchdog organization, parents should not purchase:
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“Bud” Skipit’s Wheely Cute Pull Along
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DG.Jiefeng Toys’ Foam Dart Gun
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Stats 38-inch Quick Folding Trampoline
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Poo-Dough by Skyrocket Toys
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Splat X Smack Shot by Imperial Toy
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Kick Flipper from Playsmart, Inc.
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Leonardo’s Electronic Stealth Sword from Playmates International
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Kid Connection Doctor Play Set
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Early Learning Centre’s Pull Along Zebra
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Hasbro’s Jurassic World Velociraptor Claws
Group aims to stop preventable injury due to unsafe toys
The purpose of the W.A.T.C.H. List is to assist parents who may unintentionally purchase unsafe products as holiday gifts. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported a total of nine fatalities related to toys in 2013, in addition to over 256,000 emergency room treatment visits stemming from the use of toys. W.A.T.C.H. States that its mission involves encouraging corporate responsibility in the marketplace and boosting consumer awareness of hazards.
Protecting the most vulnerable among us
All parents want to ensure that their children learn and play in the safest possible environment. This desire makes it all the more disturbing when product manufacturers design, produce and market toys and other items ultimately shown to be unacceptably hazardous. Whether the subject of a formal recall or not, dangerous playthings have the potential to cause life-altering injuries and even death.
When such a tragedy occurs, many parents exercise their rights to pursue a product liability lawsuit against manufacturers, distributors and others involved in getting the offending items into the stream of commerce.
Plaintiffs may be able to secure compensation for the following losses:
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Current, past and future medical expenses
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Necessary physical therapy services
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Physical pain and suffering
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Emotional trauma and distress
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Funeral expenses, where necessary
When misfortune strikes and you or a loved one suffer significant injuries or worse as the result of a defectively designed product, or an item marketed without sufficient warnings, you may feel frustration, uncertainty and anger.
The product liability lawyers at Hardy Wolf and Downing have dedicated our careers to helping injury victims assert their rights to financial recovery, corporate accountability and justice. To schedule a no-cost initial evaluation of your case, contact us at 1-800-INJURED.