Laceration Risks Prompts Another Stroller Recall

A huge recall of some 1.5 million <"https://www.yourlawyer.com/practice_areas/product_liability">Graco Strollers has been implemented because the defective Graco Strollers can cause amputation and laceration hazards, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) just announced.

Graco’s Passage™, Alano™, and Spree™ Strollers and Travel Systems, which were manufactured by Graco Children’s Products Inc., of Atlanta, Georgia, are involved. The hinges on the stroller’s canopy pose a fingertip amputation and laceration hazard to the child when the consumer is opening or closing the canopy. To date, Graco has received seven reports of children placing their fingers in the stroller’s canopy hinge mechanism while the canopy was being opened or closed, resulting in five fingertip amputations and two fingertip lacerations. A complete list of the model numbers for the recalled Graco Passage™, Alano™, and Spree™ Strollers and Travel Systems with defective hinge mechanisms can be found here.

Graco manufactured two different styles of hinge mechanisms for these stroller models. Only strollers or travel systems with a plastic, jointed hinge mechanism that has indented canopy-positioning notches are included in this recall. The recalled strollers were manufactured between October 2004 and February 2008 and were made in China. The model number and manufacture date are located on the lower inside portion of the rear frame, just above the rear wheels. The recalled Graco Strollers were sold at AAFES, Burlington Coat Factory, Babies “R” Us, Toys “R” Us, Kmart, Fred Meyer, Meijers, Navy Exchange, Sears, Target, Walmart, and other retailers nationwide from October 2004 and December 2009 for between $80 and $90 for the strollers and between $150 and $200 for the travel systems.

The CPSC is advising consumers to immediately stop using the recalled strollers and contact Graco to receive a free protective cover repair kit. Graco can be reached toll-free at 1-800-345-4109 between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, or at the firm’s Web site at www.gracobaby.com

Meanwhile, late last year we wrote about another massive stroller recall that involved defective Maclaren strollers. That recall was officially implemented following reports of children’s fingertips being amputated. It was also revealed at that time that Maclaren knew—for an unbelievable five years—that the strollers could sever children’s fingers but did nothing until forced to by the government, according to a prior New York Post report. Maclaren USA, Inc., of South Norwalk, Connecticut issued a recall of about one million Maclaren Strollers because the stroller’s hinge mechanism poses a fingertip amputation and laceration hazard to the child when the consumer is unfolding/opening the stroller. Maclaren received 15 reports of children placing their finger in the stroller’s hinge mechanism, resulting in 12 reports of fingertip amputations in the United States. That recall included every Maclaren stroller sold since 1999.

Of note, all of the defective Graco and Maclaren strollers were imported from China. Imports from China have been making headlines in recent years; these massive stroller recalls are just two more of many other such issues on which we have been writing regarding this problem. In 2008, nearly 80 percent of all product recalls in the United States involved imports from China and involved products such as dog food, baby formula, toys with lead paint, and even pharmaceuticals like heparin that were found to be made with toxic materials and other counterfeit ingredients that have long been putting United States consumers at significant risk. Now, the ongoing Chinese drywall disaster involving imports from that country has been making headlines.