Now that the holiday season is well under way, countless children in Georgia and across the United States will be polishing up their Christmas lists. The majority of toys manufactured for children today are safe as well as fun, but there always seem to be some that have parents and consumer safety groups wondering how some of these toys managed to be put on the shelves. Even more frightening, other toys may seem harmless at first glance but can contain hidden risks that threaten the health or even the lives of unsuspecting children. Throughout the years, dangerous children’s toys that caused personal injury have resulted in products liability lawsuits.
When thinking about dangerous toys, pellet guns may be one of the first products to come to mind. However, a number of other toys have been named in the annual “10 Worst Toys List” by the safety group World Against Toys Causing Harm. Some of the toys listed in this report include an electric machine gun that may be mistaken by law enforcement as a real gun, a catapult pencil and at least two dolls that can present choking risks.
In a response to the report, the Toy Industry Association states that it has cooperated with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and other safety and consumer groups to ensure new toys are safe for children. However, sometimes a product can be on the market for several months before accidents happen. It is not unusual for a product recall to alert parents that a toy they previously thought was safe should not be played with. Parents can help to keep their children safe by staying alert for such recalls, as well as thoroughly inspecting new toys for potential hazards.
Source: CBS Boston, “Boston Group Releases Annual List Of 10 Most Dangerous Toys,” Nov. 19, 2014
