Thirteen years after the death of her infant son, a New York woman will finally see increased safety standards for baby cribs. In 1997, the woman went into her son’s room to wake him up when she found him with his neck stuck between a gap in the side rail and headboard. The gap resulted from a single screw coming loose. Her loss was not an isolated incident, either. Since 2000, at least 36 infants have died from suffocation or strangulation due to detaching, drop-side rails used in baby cribs.
In 2010, Washington, D.C.’s Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) approved new, mandatory safety standards for cribs. All cribs that companies manufacture, sell or lease in the country must meet these standards by June 2011. Childcare facilities have 24 months after publication of the standards to meet them.
The standards mandate changes such as:
- Eliminating the sale of dangerous, drop-side cribs
- Requiring mattress supports to be stronger
- Requiring crib hardware to be more durable
- Instituting more rigorous safety testing
Since 2007, companies have recalled more than 11 million baby cribs, bassinets or playpens. People who have suffered an injury or loss because of a dangerous product may wish to speak to a Washington, D.C. personal injury attorney. To learn more about liability for dangerous products, contact Kelly Fisher, a Washington, D.C. personal injury lawyer, at Koonz, McKenney, Johnson & DePaolis L.L.P.