Can Take Months to Recall a Dangerous Toy
The manufacturers and marketers of dangerous toys are responsible for the damage they cause innocent children across the country. Following dangerous toy deaths of children in Chicago and Milwaukee, federal regulators in 2010 recalled 1.8 million dart gun sets—a dangerous toy that federal officials and the toy’s importer knew was deadly more than three years prior to recall. Mega Brands, Magnetix play sets illustrate an even more dangerous toy story.
Magnetix Play Sets
In 2009, Mega Brands, a Canadian company, who makes Mega Blox and other popular toys agreed to pay a civil penalty of $1.1 million in connection with a dangerous toy that caused death of Seattle toddler in 2005 and intestinal injuries in at least 27 other children.
The penalty centered on Magnetix play sets that had powerful magnets that, if ingested, could tear through a child’s intestines. Before the death of the toddler, Mega Brands learned from an Indiana preschool teacher that a 5-year old child had required emergency surgery after swallowing magnets from the dangerous toy. The company also had received 1,100 customer complaints about magnets falling out—but it took a fatal accident before steps were taken to remove dangerous toy from store shelves—a process that took four months.
Chicago Tribune Reported Incident
Here’s an excerpt from the 2007 Chicago Tribune article:
Magnetix building sets were such hot sellers for Rose Art Industries that a rival toymaker bought the family-owned company. Now the legacy of that toy is haunting Mega Brands, the Canadian firm that purchased Rose Art.
The brothers, who sold Rose Art, then led that division after the merger and didn't fix the problems with the dangerous toy. In part because they didn't want to jeopardize their personal multimillion-dollar payouts tied to profit targets.
In 2006, Mega Brands took $36.3 million in pretax charges related to the changes it had to make to Magnetix toys, costs of product-liability suits, and litigation costs between the company and the Rosen brothers.
If you or a loved one have been severely hurt by a dangerous toy, let attorneys at Seeger Weiss fight for you with the compassion and urgency that all injured children deserve. Fill out this form for FREE case evaluation.
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