When Children’s Products Cause Harm: Holding Companies Accountable for Unsafe Toys and Gear

Children’s products are supposed to be held to the highest safety standards. From car seats and cribs to toys and strollers, these items are meant to protect and nurture, not pose a threat. However, the results can be devastating when a product is poorly designed, defectively manufactured, or lacks proper safety warnings.

At Morgan & Morgan, we help families seek justice when a dangerous product injures a child. If your child was harmed by a toy, car seat, or any product intended for children, you may have the right to pursue a product liability claim, and we’re here to guide you through it.

The Hidden Dangers in Everyday Children’s Products

While most children’s products on the market are safe, many are recalled yearly due to known defects, choking hazards, and failure to meet federal safety standards. Sadly, many dangerous products remain in homes, schools, and daycare centers long after warnings are issued.

Common defective or dangerous children’s products include:

• Toys with small, detachable parts that pose choking hazards for infants and toddlers
• Car seats or booster seats that fail in crashes or are poorly secured
• Cribs and bassinets with faulty slats, hinges, or drop-side mechanisms
• Walkers or bouncers that collapse or tip over unexpectedly
• Strollers and carriers with sharp edges, broken locks, or pinch points
• Clothing with loose strings, buttons, or toxic materials
• High chairs or feeding accessories that fail to support properly or snap under weight

Even with active recalls and Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) oversight, many hazardous products reach consumers or remain in use far longer than they should.

What Can Go Wrong?

Injuries from defective children’s products can be especially dangerous, given how small, vulnerable, and developmentally fragile children are. Common injuries include:

• Choking or asphyxiation from small parts, soft bedding, or poorly ventilated enclosures
• Lacerations and bruises from sharp edges or collapsing items
• Head and spinal injuries from falls in strollers, car seats, or walkers
• Burns or electric shock from improperly insulated toys or electronic products
• Ingestion of toxic materials, such as lead paint or unsafe plastics
• Strangulation, especially from cords, straps, or crib rail gaps
• Internal injuries from defective feeding items or bottle components

These incidents can require emergency treatment, surgery, hospitalization, or lead to long-term developmental challenges. In the worst cases, they result in permanent injury or death.

Who’s Liable for a Child’s Injury?

When a defective children’s product causes harm, one or more parties may be held responsible under product liability law. These cases are not just about compensation, they’re about protecting other children from facing the same risks.

Potentially liable parties include:

• Manufacturers, for defective design, poor materials, or failure to conduct proper safety testing
• Distributors and retailers, for continuing to sell recalled or dangerous items
• Importers, if the product fails to meet U.S. safety standards
• Daycare centers or schools, if they knowingly used or failed to remove a hazardous product
• Third-party certifiers, if safety testing was inadequate or falsified

Claims typically fall into one of three legal categories:

• Design Defect: The product was unsafe even when used correctly
• Manufacturing Defect: A specific product failed due to an error in production
• Failure to Warn: The packaging or instructions didn’t disclose known risks or age guidelines

Even if you followed all the directions and used the product as intended, your child’s injury may still qualify for a legal claim.

What to Do After a Child Is Injured

If your child was hurt due to a defective toy or product, act quickly to protect their health and your legal rights:

• Seek medical attention immediately.
• Preserve the product, packaging, and instructions—don’t repair or discard it.
• Take photos of the product, your child’s injuries, and the surrounding area.
• Check for recalls or consumer alerts.
• Contact a product liability attorney, especially one experienced in child injury cases.

How Morgan & Morgan Can Help

We know that nothing matters more than protecting your child. Our attorneys work closely with pediatric medical experts, product engineers, and safety regulators to determine how and why a product failed, and who should be held accountable.

We may be able to help you recover:

• Medical expenses and future care costs
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress or trauma
• Long-term disability or developmental delays
• Wrongful death (in fatal cases)

When Products Endanger Children, We Protect Families

You trusted the product to keep your child safe. Now it’s time to hold manufacturers to that same standard. If your family has been affected by a dangerous children’s product, we’re here to help you take the next step.

Contact Morgan & Morgan today for a free case evaluation. Because when your child’s safety is compromised, we fight For The People.