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As parents, we go to extraordinary lengths to keep our children safe, and we expect others to do so as well. The manufacturers of children’s products should take care to ensure that these items are safe for children and parents to use, and there are a multitude of laws in regulations in place that are meant to keep dangerous products from entering the market. Unfortunately, some companies fail to follow these regulations, or they commit oversights when rushing a product to market, and as a result, defective or dangerous products are sold to consumers.

Since children are especially vulnerable to harm, they can suffer serious injuries because of defective toys, clothes, baby care products, child safety products, and much more. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) regulates most children’s products in the United States, and when dangerous products are discovered, the CPSC may require the company to recall the product.

Some recent recalls of children’s products include:

- Rocking infant sleepers - Two manufacturers have recalled all models of their infant rocking sleeper beds. Multiple babies died of suffocation after rolling onto their stomachs because they were not properly restrained while in these sleepers.
- Child bed canopies - A light-up canopy for children’s beds was recalled because the lights could overheat and cause the canopy to catch on fire, leading to serious burn injuries.
- Wooden toys - Multiple types of toys made of wood were recalled, because they contained small parts that could come loose and present a choking hazard for children.
- Clothing - Clothing manufacturers have recalled children’s sleepwear and bathrobes because they did not meet standards for flammability, causing the risk of serious burn injuries for children. Other types of clothing, such as jackets, snowsuits, and shoes, were recalled because of choking hazards from zippers or other components that could become detached.
- Bed rails - One company recalled portable rails for children’s beds because they could cause entrapment and suffocation for children.
- High chairs - One manufacturer recalled convertible high chairs because the legs could become detached, causing fall injuries that could result in brain injuries, broken bones, or dislocated joints for children.
- Baby carriers - A child carrier was recalled because of a defective clip that could cause dangerous fall injuries for babies.
- Bath seats - A support seat to use while bathing infants was recalled because it did not meet the standards for stability. The seats presented a drowning hazard because they could tip over, or a child could slip out of the supports.
- Playground equipment - Some playground parts have been recalled because gaps in railings or handholds are too large, presenting a risk of entrapment and strangulation for children.

Contact a Rolling Meadows Product Liability Lawyer

If your child has been injured while using a defective or dangerous product, the attorneys at Drost, Gilbert, Andrew & Apicella, LLC can help you understand your options for pursuing compensation from a negligent product manufacturer. We will fully investigate the circumstances of the injury and determine whether can recover damages because the product had a design defect or manufacturing defect or because the proper instructions or warnings were not provided. To schedule a free consultation, contact our Barrington personal injury attorneys at 847-934-6000.

About the Author: Attorney Ken Apicella is a founding partner of DGAA focusing in the areas of personal injury, employment, insurance coverage disputes, and civil litigation. Ken earned his J.D. from DePaul University College of Law in 1999. He has been named a SuperLawyers Rising Star and a Forty Illinois Attorneys Under Forty to Watch. Ken has written and lectured for the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education and regularly serves as a moderator at Northwest Suburban Bar Association's Continuing Legal Education seminars.

Sources:
https://www.fatherly.com/gear/product-recalls-what-parents-should-know/
https://www.safekids.org/product-recalls
https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls

A disturbing national trend in alleged alcohol-related accidents involving children is emerging. In the U.S., approximately 20 percent of children who die in car accidents are in crashes that were caused by a drunk driver. Surprisingly, many of those children are in the impaired driver’s car. According to a study released by Dr. Kyran Quinlan, a pediatrician at the Erie Family Health Center, 65 percent of the children killed by drunk drivers are in the impaired driver’s car rather than in the one hit by the driver. Drunk driving is a dangerous crime for the perpetrator and for the victims, and it can come with serious penalties.

Alcohol impairs the functioning of a person’s brain and affects their attentiveness, decision making abilities, reaction speed, and judgment. These impairments can have a particularly serious effect on a driver since speedy reactions, clear vision, and the ability to make quick decisions are especially important on the road.

Drunk Driving Penalties

The penalties for drunk driving in Illinois can be quite serious and include fines, jail time, license suspensions and the use of an ignition interlock device, although the specifics depend on the number of offences. A first time DUI can come with up to a year in prison, along with a fine of up to $2,500 and a license suspension of at least one year. The next offense comes with the same possible penalties, except that the offender’s license will be suspended for at least five years. A third DUI would come with between three and seven years in prison, a fine of up to $2,500 and a minimum license suspension of 10 years. Additionally, after a first offense the court will mandate this installation of an ignition interlock device, a Breathalyzer-like device that will prevent the car from being started by an inebriated driver.

Additionally, drunk driving can also result in the person being charged with other crimes. If the drunk driver causes an accident that results in a death, the driver could also be charged with reckless homicide. Ordinarily, reckless homicide would be a class three felony, however if it occurs as the result of drunk driver, the law upgrades it to a class two felony. This can lead to a serious prison sentence from between three and 14 years, as well as other fines and the loss of the person’s driver’s license.

There are a variety of resources available to people who need a sober ride home after drinking. However, if you have been charged with drunk driving or involved in an accident, contact an Inverness criminal defense attorney. Our skilled team of attorneys handle cases across the northwest suburban Illinois towns like Rolling Meadows, Des Plaines, and Deer Park.

About the Author: Founding partner of Drost, Gilbert, Andrew & Apicella, LLC, Colin Gilbert, received his J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of law in 2005. Colin argues cases across many practice areas including criminal defense, collections, civil litigation, real estate law, and corporate law. Colin is an active member of the Board of Governors of the Northwest Suburban Bar Association and the Illinois Creditors Bar Association. He is currently Vice President of the Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce, and is a Commissioner for the Village of Arlington Heights. Colin has a 10.0 Attorney rating on Avvo, and was named one of the 2014 “Top 40 Under 40” Trial Lawyers in Illinois by the National Trial Lawyers Association.