Oregon parents should know that some Maclaren strollers may carry risks of serious personal injury along with babies and young children. The Oregonian notes the recall of China-built Maclaren strollers following reports of children’s fingertips being amputated: “The injuries occurred when the children placed their fingers in the stroller’s hinge mechanism.” The recall includes nine models of double or single umbrella strollers sold between 1999 and 2009: Easy Traveller, Twin Techno, Twin Triumph, TechnoXLR, Techno XT, Quest Mod, Quest Sport, Triumph, and Volo.
As parents open or close the strollers, the hinge mechanism can cause deep lacerations or even remove fingertips. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (“CPSC”) warns parents to immediately stop using these recalled strollers and contact Maclaren USA to receive a free repair kit.
The CPSC’s advice is good, but only if a child fingertip amputation injury or laceration injury hasn’t happened. Unfortunately, a recall was not announced until some twelve children had reported suffering finger injuries allegedly caused by the strollers. Even if parents who learn of the recall act immediately to request repair parts, they may have a hard time getting through. According to a TIME magazine report, the Maclaren website was overloaded once news of the recall broke. Approximately 1 million strollers are affected.
If a stroller causes fingertip amputation, laceration, or other injury to a child, parents should seek immediate medical help first. Important next steps include preserving the defective product and contacting a children’s injury product liability lawyer without delay. A child stroller injury caused by defective design, manufacturing, or a failure to equip the product with warnings of the personal injury risk may support a products liability lawsuit. In most states, a parent or guardian may sue the manufacturer and/or the seller on behalf of a child injured by a defective stroller or other product to recover medical costs and other compensation.
Related Web Resources
Consumer Product Safety Commission, Maclaren USA Recalls to Repair Strollers Following Fingertip Amputations (Nov. 9, 2009).
Amy Wang, 1 Million Maclaren Strollers Recalled After Fingertip Amputations, Oregonian, Nov. 9, 2009.
Sean Gregory, Maclaren’s Stroller Recall: A Stumbling Response Online, TIME, Nov. 9, 2009.
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