Many New York residents are just as eager for the day after Thanksgiving as Thanksgiving Day. For bargain-hunters, the shopping extravaganza known as Black Friday is a highly anticipated annual event. Many people plan to purchase one big-ticket item at a discount today; others impressively muster enough energy the morning after a turkey feast to get the majority of their holiday shopping done.
For those who plan to buy children’s toys on Black Friday, it may be important to do some research – and not just on prices. Unfortunately, a number of toys that are on the shelves this holiday season may be dangerous.
While toy designers, manufacturers and retailers have a certain duty to make sure that their products are not dangerous, many toys that are for sale present serious safety risks to children. These risks include choking and hearing hazards and even lead poisoning.
The Public Interest Research Group recently published a list of dangerous toys.The list includes toys that will be for sale at Walmart, Kmart and Toys R Us among other stores this holiday season. Some of the toys are made by well-known companies, like Mattel, and include popular children’s characters like the Ninja Turtles.
Many of the dangerous toys made the list because they contain small parts that may present choking hazards. To view the entire list, read the news article listed at the end of the blog post.
While the PIRG list is a starting point to keep dangerous toys out of the hands of children, there is no
comprehensive list of unsafe toys. Often, parents are not aware that a toy is dangerous or defective until it is
recalled.In 2007, for example, 231 toys were recalled from the U.S market.Many safeguards have since been put into place to hold toy manufacturers to higher standards, and this year there have been only 31 toy recalls.
In New York, parents can help keep their children away from dangerous toys by studying toys for potential hazards and reading consumer reviews before making purchases. When children are harmed by toys, however, toy companies may be to blame. Companies can be held accountable when a child is injured due to a dangerous or defective toy. Parents whose children have been injured by dangerous products should consider seeking legal counsel.
Source: NBC News, “Play at your own risk: dangerous toys of 2013,” Ben Popken, Nov. 26, 2013