Mother’s fury after son breaks fingers in pushchair
A mother has spoke of her anger, after her little boy broke three fingers when part of his hand got trapped in the hinge of his pushchair.
The four-year-old trapped his fingers in the buggy, but the mother did not say anything, because at first she thought she was to blame for his personal injuries.
Product liability issues
However, things have now changed as it emerged that similar accidents have occurred with the same make of pushchair. She now feels the makers should have done more to warn parents of the potential hazards.
The 36-year-old, from Westcotes, Leicester, is one of 15 worried families who have sought legal advice on accident claims about the situation amid allegations that the company knew its products had injured children more than a year ago.
It was exposed that the company announced a “recall” of a million buggies in the US after reports of 12 children having parts of their fingers cut off.
Richard Langton, from a law firm, revealed that he has gathered over a dozen accident claims concerning the pushchair: “We are already handling 15 potential claims where children have been hurt, allegedly by their [...] buggies, and we are urging Trading Standards to issue a product recall to stop any further injuries.
“Despite their claims that there is no issue with their products in the UK, I have seen and spoken to numerous parents now whose children have suffered a lifetime injury from using something that is specifically designed to be used for small children.”
He added: “Infants whose fingers are at risk of being fractured, crushed, or amputated in the UK deserve the same protection as those in America. Why are new buggies not being sold now with the same protective hinge covers and warning labels which are being provided in America? How many more children must suffer amputations before the UK authorities act?”
The mother, a complaints officer for the NHS, stated: “It happened two years ago, when he was about two. There's a mechanism on the buggy and I pushed my foot down on the pedal to unlock it and he got his fingers caught in the hinge.
“We were at a playgroup and he screamed as I opened the buggy up. The tips of his fingers were flattened and had changed colour and he was rushed to hospital. He needed an x-ray but I couldn't come with him as I was nine months pregnant.
“I couldn't release him, his fingers were literally flattened. Other mums tried to help but we couldn't get him out until an ambulance arrived and they released him.”
She added that the toddler was left with three broken fingers and other fractures to his fingers. “I just thought, accidents do happen, and it's a typical two-year-old accident.”
When evidence came to light that similar incidents had occurred before, she became vexed by the fact that the firm did not do more to issue warnings about the hinges.
Last month however, the manufacturer said it was creating ‘safety-kits.’ A statement on the company's website said: “There is simply nothing more important to [us] than the safety of a child. To provide comfort and reassurance, we will send you a set of covers to fit the elbow joint of your [...] buggy.”
Updated on 12/15/2009