Fisher-Price may face product liability lawsuits after the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced on April 12, 2019, that the company is recalling millions of its Rock n’ Play Sleepers. Since the sleepers hit the market in 2009, they have reportedly caused at least 32 infant fatalities due to their defective design.
According to the CPSC, the federal agency that regulates product safety, the sleepers were defective because they did not adequately restrain infants, who could roll over in the sleeper and suffocate. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that the CPSC recall the sleepers, which prompted consumer safety organization Consumer Reports to investigate the products. Consumer Reports has been critical of Fisher-Price’s handling of the defective products, issuing a statement that the recall was “long overdue.”
Whether it’s power tools, automobiles, or even sleepers, defective products can cause fatal injuries. That’s why it is so important to hold companies accountable when products with manufacturing or design defects reach innocent consumers. Several of the families who lost children to these defective sleepers are now seeking justice for their losses. Fortunately, the law provides a remedy for them.
Georgia law allows injured people and their loves ones to file products liability lawsuits against manufacturers, distributors, and retailers when defective or dangerous products cause their injuries. These cases can be complex, however, and often require expert analysis to diagnose a product’s defects and determine how the defect caused the injury. A smart, experienced products liability lawyer can help families navigate through these issues and complicated product-safety regulations.
In some cases, Georgia law also entitles some families to punitive damages, which are meant to punish companies when their negligence is especially egregious or if they ignore warning signs that their products are defective. Unfortunately, there are many companies that take shortcuts when it comes to product safety, often putting profits over people.
The families who have lost their children due to these defective sleepers may be entitled to punitive damages here, as Consumer Reports reported that Fisher-Price and the CPSC knew about the infant deaths connected to the defective sleepers for years and failed to act. There is a strict procedure for seeking such damages, and we can definitely expect a fight from Fisher-Price to avoid paying any punitive damages.
Our firm’s experienced products liability attorneys have helped families secure compensation for their injuries from defective products. We know the law, the experts, and the process for seeing these cases through to successful outcomes.
Call us if you or a loved one has been injured by a defective product. We are ready to help you.
