Like most kids throughout the country, children in New York often ask their parents to buy them whatever toy is trending on the market at the time whenever their birthdays or other gift-giving holidays arise. A parent who is buying a toy for a child rightly assumes that the toy has been checked for safety. Unfortunately, there have been many dangerous toys placed for sale in the U.S. marketplace through the years, some of which caused fatal injuries to children. Product liability laws seek to protect consumers and typically apply to manufacturers, distributors or others in the supply line.
One of the most dangerous toys of all time was lawn darts. These oversized darts had sharp points. Children would toss them through the air, hoping to land within a colorful ring that was set in place before the start of the game. Sadly, several children were killed when they were struck with the darts.
Other dangerous toys
In the 1950s, children could own a toy gun that produced an explosion when a child pulled the trigger. The powerful explosion could pelt a ping-pong ball into the air at 60 mph. Many children suffered serious injuries while playing with these toys. A card game named after child star Hannah Montana (now Miley Cyrus) contained high levels of lead, a highly poisonous substance.
Another toy that contained a toxic substance was the CSI Fingerprint Examination Kit. It was discovered that these toys contained high levels of asbestos, which is known to cause terminal cancer. While these toys are no longer available on the market, there are likely other toys being sold that are defective or dangerous to children. Any New York parent whose child has suffered injuries because of a defective or dangerous toy may wish to learn more about how to file a product liability claim in a civil court to seek compensation for damages.