Over the years, baby strollers have become more and more advanced: offering a variety of features that create lighter, more comfortable, and easier-to-store strollers. Unfortunately, even with these innovations and improvements, strollers continue to be recalled at alarming rates due to accidents that could have been avoided.
Below, I provide guidance on when a lawsuit may be appropriate or necessary, along with some safety tips that can help you protect your children. Remember that if your child has been injured in a stroller accident, working with a product liability attorney in New York could be in your best interests.
If you believe you have a case, learn more about your rights by contacting Buttafuoco & Associates for a free consultation at 1-800-NOW-HURT.
Why do Stroller Recalls Happen?
Although there are many federal safety regulations for strollers that companies must abide by, accidents still happen. No production process is perfect, and designers and manufacturers can make mistakes that result in strollers that dangerously tip, roll away, collapse, or otherwise injure children and parents.
When a manufacturer is notified of a potentially hazardous stroller, they may issue a recall because it is their legal obligation to protect consumers. However, just because a product isn’t recalled, it doesn’t mean that hazards do not exist. Any injury that you believe has happened due to a manufacturing error or unconsidered safety issue may be eligible for a lawsuit.
Even a properly designed stroller can be exposed to errors during the manufacturing process that result in life-threatening defects. This sometimes results in thousands or even millions of strollers that cause harm.
Decades of Stroller Defect Accidents
In recent decades, there have been a significant number of stroller recalls due to faulty design or manufacturing. Some of the highest-profile cases include:
- MacLaren Stroller Recall: In 2009, Britain’s Maclaren corporation recalled over 1 million umbrella strollers after a side hinge mechanism resulted in the amputation of children’s fingers when opening or closing the stroller. The strollers in question had been sold in the U.S. since 1999.
- Britax Child Safety, Inc.: In 2013, Britax recalled over 215,000 B-Agile strollers manufactured between March 1, 2011 and June 10, 2013. Similarly to the Maclaren recall, there was a risk of amputation when folding the stroller.
- Joovy Zoom Car Seat Stroller Adapter: In December 2013, Joovy recalled 1500 products due to a fall hazard that occurred when the plastic adapter clips on the stroller frame became loose.
- B.O.B. Single and Double Strollers: In 2011, a choking hazard due to a detachable backing patch and a strangulation hazard due to a drawstring that could wrap around a child’s neck were discovered. The 350,000+ affected strollers were manufactured between 1998 and 2010.
Even though these recalls happened over a decade ago, if you use a used stroller that was given as a hand-me-down or that you bought online or at a thrift store, it is worth checking to see if your stroller model was affected.
Recent Stroller Recalls
Baby Trend Cityscape Travel Jogger Stroller
In 2022, Baby Trend issued a recall of their Cityscape Travel Jogger Stroller (model TJ75B12A) when it was discovered that a failing parking brake posed a fall or tip-over hazard. Consumers were warned to immediately stop using the recalled stroller, and were offered a $175 e-voucher or refund. The strollers were sold on Babytrend.com and Amazon.com.
Mockingbird Single-to-Double Strollers
Also in 2022, the Mockingbird company recalled nearly 150,000 of their Single-to-Double strollers after receiving 138 reports of cracked frames that resulted in cuts, scratches, or bruising to children. Consumers were urged to contact the company for a free frame reinforcement kit.
Color Tree Strollers
In August 2024, The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warneed consumers to discontinue using Color Tree strollers and dispose of them immediately due to entrapment and strangulation risks. The strollers were sold on Amazon.com, Walmart.com, and at other retailers between 2021 and 2023.
These are just a few of many recent stroller recalls. If you own a stroller that has proved hazardous, the best way to keep your kids and others safe is to report the issue to the CPSC at CPSC and avoid giving away the stroller to others.
Additionally, getting in touch with a New York product liability attorney can help you understand your rights and learn whether you are eligible for compensation.
Tips for Safe Stroller Use
While some stroller accidents are due to faulty manufacturing or design practices, others occur because of consumer misuse. To reduce the risk of stroller accidents, we urge you to follow the following recommendations:
- Ensure that your stroller is right for your child’s size and weight
- Use the safety harness
- Ensure that your child is securely in the stroller before moving it
- Ensure that all hinges are locked
- Avoid hanging bags or other items on stroller handles, as this could result in entrapment or strangulation
- Never walk away from your child while they are in the stroller unless someone else can supervisor them
Keep in mind that even if you follow these precautions, it is still possible that a defect can cause an accident. On the other hand, if you fail to observe these safety protocols, the manufacturer could still be liable or partially liable for the accident. A product liability attorney serving New York can help you better understand the complexities of your situation.
Do I Have a Lawsuit?
Under the law, a parent can often hold manufacturers liable for design or manufacturing defects that resulted in injury. To do so, you will need to clearly identify that a specific defect existed, and prove that it resulted in harm to your child. In these cases, even if the manufacturer followed safety protocols, they can still be held liable. You may be able to recover medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other damages, depending on the specific circumstances of your case.
Buttafuoco & Associates believes in protecting victims’ rights when haphazard manufacturing practices cause harm to a child. We will fight for you and your family to recover the maximum compensation you deserve.
To find out more about your legal rights, call us at 1-800-NOW-HURT today.
