Orlando Personal Injury Attorney Warns Parents About Baby Monitor Recall

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on February 1, 2011

Orlando personal injury lawyer James O. Cunningham would like to alert all parents of infants that a massive recall of baby monitors is underway after two babies became entangled in the cords and were strangled. The recall was issued in early February after an investigation by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) found that electrical cords for the monitors posed a serious strangulation hazard for babies if placed too close to the crib. Nearly two million Summer Infant monitors are affected by the recall. The deaths of a 10-month-old girl in Washington, D.C. who was strangled by the cord of a Summer Infant monitor camera placed near her crib, and a six-month-old South Carolina boy who was also strangled when he became entangled in a monitor’s electrical cord prompted this recall.

Commission Chairman Inez Tenenbaum warned parents about the dangers of any cords within reach of young children.

“I urge all parents and caregivers to put at least three feet between any video or audio baby monitor cords and a child in a crib,” she said. “This simple step can save your child’s life.”

The recall affects about 1.7 million baby monitors, which includes at least 40 different models of handheld, digital and color monitors made by Summer Infant based in Woonsocket, RI. Under the conditions of the recall, Summer Infant will not replace the products, but will provide new warning labels to help parents place their monitors at least three feet from cribs. Many different retailers sold the monitors across the country from 2003 to 2011.

The CPSC has known about the strangulation risks of these monitors for some time and issued a warning in October 2010. At least seven children have strangled on monitor cords from different manufacturers since 2004. Summer Infant has also recalled 58,000 video monitors sold exclusively at Babies R Us in 2009 and 2010 for problems involving rechargeable batteries. The batteries in Slim and Secure Video Monitors can overheat and burst, potentially causing burns on anyone nearby. Parents seeking more information about the recalled baby monitors are encouraged to call Summer Infant at 800-426-8627.

Companies that manufacturer goods of any kind are legally obligated to ensure that their products are safe to use. When a defective product injures someone, he or she has a right to seek damages against the manufacturer, retailer and distributor of the product. If you or a close family member has suffered an injury due to a defective product and you want to speak with an Orlando personal injury attorney, call James O. Cunningham today at 888-425-2004 or 407-425-2000 to schedule a free consultation.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.