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Bayside Furnishings Recalls Youth Bed That Killed Baby

Jul 7, 2008 | Parker Waichman Alonso LLP

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with Bayside Furnishing, today announced a voluntary recall of the LaJolla Boat Bed and Pirates of the Caribbean twin trundle beds following the death of a 22-month-old child.

According to the CPSC, about 9,350 of the LaJolla Boat and Pirates of the Caribbean twin trundle beds, which were imported by Bayside Furnishings—a division of Whalen™—of San Diego, California, are included in the recall of the two Bayside youth bed styles.  The pre-assembled toy chest-beds are designed in the shape of a ship or boat’s “bow” and attached to the beds as a footboard.  The LaJolla Boat Bed toy chest has a hardwood top and white wood base with a blue stripe.  The Pirates Boat Bed toy chest has a hardwood top, wheel shape, and brown wood base with decorative carvings.  The problem is that the lid supports on the toy chests fail to prevent the lid from closing too quickly.  This poses an entrapment and strangulation hazard to young children.

The CPSC received one report of a death involving a 22-month-old boy from Roseville, California.  The baby strangled when the lid of the toy chest fell on the back of his head and entrapped his neck on the edge of the chest of a LaJolla Boat Bed; the CPSC was alerted to this hazard by the Placer County, of California, Child Death Review Team.  Consumers are advised to immediately stop children from using the recalled toy chests and contact Bayside Furnishing for instructions on receiving a free repair kit with replacement lid supports.

The LaJolla Boat Bed and Pirates of the Caribbean twin trundle beds were sold at Costco and furniture retail stores nationwide and through Costco.com from January 2006 through May 2008.  The beds retailed for between $700 and $1,400.

For additional information, consumers can contact Bayside Furnishings at (877) 494-2536 anytime, or visit the firm’s Website at www.baysidefurnishings.com to register online for the free repair kit.

The LaJolla Boat Bed and Pirates of the Caribbean twin trundle beds were manufactured in China.  Although much attention has been paid to foreign drug imports and lead in toys, there have been a number of crib and toy recalls for items made in China that have posed choking, strangulation, and fire hazards to consumers—often children.  And, while China promised to take steps to improve the safety of products made there for sale in the United States, recalls occur on a nearly daily basis over products—quite often products geared to children—which are found to be defective, dangerous, toxic, and deadly.

Meanwhile, the White House has yet to name a replacement for acting CPSC chairman, Nancy A. Nord who has been accused of not protecting consumers.  The three-member commission has been without an appointed leader since former chairman Harold Stratton stepped down in 2006.  Meanwhile, democrats in Congress demanded Nord resign for opposing provisions of a bill to allow CPSC more authority to disclose information about product hazards and raise the maximum penalty for manufacturers failing to report problems.