The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) handed down a provisional $4 million fine to Graco Children’s Products Inc. for failure to report dangerous products in a timely manner. The fine is for several incidents of non-compliance with CPSC regulations involving 16 product lines sold under the Graco and Century names. In total, there were 12 million products sold from 1991 to 2002 that could pose “substantial product hazards or unreasonable risks of injury or death to young children.” Two other product lines are also under consideration by the CPSC.

The CPSC singled out the toddler bed sold under the names “Cozy Toddler Bed,” “Glow-in-the-Dark Toddler Bed,” and “Classic Toddler Bed.” At the time of the recall, Graco had received 77 reports of entrapment that led to broken arms, legs, and feet, sprains, and minor injuries. The March 2005 recall noted that the beds had been sold in the U.S. since February 1994 – eleven years before the company “voluntarily” decided to provide a retro-fit mesh lining to help prevent limbs getting caught between the bed’s slats.

Also involved in the fine was the Century “Assura” car seat. First recalled in October 2000 and then revised September 2003, the baby seat’s handle cracked, broke, or came away from the seat or did not lock properly. Century received 2,700 reports about the faulty handles, and over 200 reports that resulted in injury to the baby. Injuries ranged from serious to minor including concussions, skull fractures, lacerations, broken bones, bruises, and scratches.

The reason Graco was fined so heavily was not because of the defects, but because they failed to report them to the CPSC as is required. Not all reported incidents lead to a recall, but the CPSC may deem that it is necessary if several reports of similar incidents appear, or if there are reports of fatalities and serious injuries. However if the CPSC does not get the full reports from the manufacturer, the commission cannot accurately determine how hazardous a product may be. In the case of the Century car seat, which was sold from 1991 to 1997, the CPSC may have found it necessary to announce a recall well before it did, saving dozens of babies from skull fractures and other injuries. In fact, the CPSC stated: “This failure to provide a complete report impeded an effective analysis of the defects and hazard associated with these products and unduly delayed implementation of a safety recall.”

If your child has been injured because of a faulty car seat or any other product, contact the Personal Injury experts at Jim S. Adler & Associates. We have more than 30 years of experience helping innocent victims reclaim damages from negligent manufacturers. You have a right to expect that the approved product you purchase will not injury your child in normal circumstances, and when that trust is broken you have the right to compensation. Contact us right now for a free case review.