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Child Injury Prevention: Tips for Safer Toy Giving this Holiday Season

By Kelly Balamuth on December 3, 2012

Bay Area Toy Safety TipsThe celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday and the infamous Black Friday shopping extravaganzas likely mark the beginning of the holiday shopping season for a number of Californians. Shopping and finding everyone in your family the perfect gift is one of the most fun parts of the holiday season, but as you shop and prepare gifts for your youngest family members, it is imperative to keep in mind simple safety tips to prevent your child or small sibling from being injured.

Courtesy of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the following are tips for safe toy giving for you and your family:

  • Always select toys to suit the skills, abilities, interests, and age of your young gift recipient. Toys that are too advanced for the child may pose a safety hazard.
  • To prevent burns and electrical shocks, don’t give children under the age of 10 any toy that must be plugged into an electrical outlet. Consider buying toys that are battery operated.
  • Remove strings and ribbons from toys before giving them to young children, and watch for pull toys with strings longer than 12 inches. Doing so can prevent a strangulation hazard for babies.
  • Children can have serious intestinal and stomach problems after swallowing button batteries and magnets, so keep them away from small children and call your healthcare provider immediately if the child swallows one.
  • Small parts in toys and games can be a choking hazard for children. Per government guidelines, children under the age of three cannot have toys that have parts less than 1 ¼ inches in diameter and 2 ¼ inches long.

To have a safe and happy holiday season, adhering to these gift-giving guidelines for the youngest members of your family can prevent a dangerous accident, but the negligence of another may still endanger the safety of your child. If you child has been injured due to the careless actions of another party, contact a personal injury attorney at Balamuth Law for assistance in getting the compensation your child needs to heal. Call (888) 254-1234 for a free consultation.

Toy-Related Injuries Have Dropped in Recent Years, but Numbers Still High

By Kelly Balamuth on December 7, 2011

The number of children injured by defective toys in the United States has decreased in recent years, thanks in part to greater public awareness of dangerous toy conditions and greater regulation and enforcement by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). However, far too many children are injured by their toys each year.

In 2010, about 181,000 children were seen in emergency rooms nationwide for toy-related injuries, a significant decrease from the 251,000 children who were seen for such injuries in 2009. By far the most common injury-causing toys were non-motorized scooters. Children who were injured in scooter accidents had injuries ranging from bruises and scrapes to traumatic brain injuries. Most scooter-related accidents happened to children under age 15, and the most serious accidents frequently involved children who were not wearing helmets or safety pads when the accident occurred.

Only seven children lost their lives to defective toys in 2010, according to the CPSC. Most of these deaths were caused by choking, often on balloons or small toy parts. The CPSC recommends choosing age-appropriate toys and keeping older children’s toys away from young children to avoid choking accidents.

Defective toys can quickly turn a day of fun into a day of tears. If a child you love has been injured by a toy, please don’t hesitate to call the experienced California toy injury lawyers at Balamuth Harrington. We will help you understand your legal rights and options and fight for the compensation your family deserves. For more information, call us today at (888) 254-1234 for a free and confidential consultation.

Attorney Kelly Balamuth was profiled in the
September 2013 Issue of Plaintiff Magazine.

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