What to Do After a Crib Defect Injury
Cribs and bassinets are designed to be safe sleeping areas for babies and toddlers‚ and while most manufacturers take their responsibility seriously and produce this children’s product with care and safety in mind‚ a crib made with any sort of defect may cause harm to your slumbering child. An injury of any kind to your child can be very traumatic‚ especially when the injury was caused by a product designed to keep your child safe.
When your child has been harmed by a defective crib‚ it is essential to know that you have legal rights and options. The San Diego child injury attorneys of the Jurewitz Law Group Injury & Accident Lawyers understand the feelings of confusion and anger you may be experiencing after your child has been injured in what was likely a preventable accident. Our compassionate legal team is dedicated to helping families not only obtain justice but also get the compensation their child needs to get well.
Are Child Cribs Dangerous?
For those with small children‚ it is important to be aware of the potential hazards a crib may pose to your child. In the unfortunate instance your child has been injured as a result of an unsafe crib‚ understanding these potential dangers is important as it will help you know if you may have grounds for legal action. The following are several types of defective crib hazards that may cause your child harm:
- Entrapment: A common hazard for newborns and babies‚ crib slats that are too far apart may enable your child to slip through and fall or have a tiny limb become stuck.
- Strangulation: Blankets or clothing may become looped around a crib with decorative posts and then around the baby’s neck‚ cutting off their air supply.
- Suffocation: Bedding should be comfortable but should fit tightly so your little one does not get under it and accidentally suffocate as well as bumper pads‚ which should also be firm and tight to prevent the same thing.
- Falling out: A baby may be at-risk of falling from rolling or leaning over the crib’s edge‚ so the crib mattress should be low enough so that the baby cannot fall out. In addition‚ the sale and manufacturing of all drop-side cribs has been banned per federal standards‚ which went into effect in June of 2011. Babies can become trapped between the mattress and the movable side of these cribs‚ posing a great danger to a young child.
Who is Liable in Your Case?
If the child you love has been harmed due to an unsafe crib‚ the resources you need to help your child recover can be found through a product liability claim. The goal of product liability law is to protect consumers from dangerous products and hold the negligent parties responsible for the hazardous item responsible‚ which will likely be either the manufacturer or designer of the product. However‚ distributors‚ retailers‚ or any other party involved in the making‚ transporting‚ or selling of the crib may be held liable as well.
Finding Support for Your Child’s Recovery
In order to be successful in a product liability claim‚ a family must prove that the crib was defective and that the defect alone was what specifically caused the child’s injury or possibly even claimed their life. As a manufacturer may argue anything to prove they were not responsible‚ such as lack of supervision or misuse of the product‚ seeking the help of a qualified attorney can aid you in getting favorable results. The Jurewitz Law Group Injury & Accident Lawyers have the resources and knowledge needed to obtain winning results in your case and we will work diligently to ensure your family’s rights are protected. Call (619) 233-5020 or (888) 233-5020 for a complimentary consultation.
