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Dangerous Window Blinds Pose Hazard to Children

Injuries can be difficult to deal with, even if the victim had no chance to avoid it. But aside from the pain, cost, or long-term effects associated with an injury, the "what if?" question may be one of the more difficult things to overcome. The thought that your injury could have been easily prevented can be haunting and last a lifetime. Sometimes, injuries and deaths caused by defective products could have been prevented by a manufacturer's increased attention. One continuing defective product problem is the child strangulation hazard of window blinds.

The Orlando personal injury attorneys at the Coye Law Firm talk to consumers often about difficult it is to overcome and injury caused by defective products. Our office understands how difficult it can be to know that your injury could have been prevented. Let our office help you fight for benefits from those responsible for your or your loved one's injuries. If your child has been harmed by defective window blinds, call us today.

Problems Posed by Window Blinds

Children are curious, and sometimes that curiosity can get them into trouble. Parents try to prevent their children from being injured by locking up chemicals in a cabinet, covering sharp corners on tables, and using plugs to keep things out of electrical sockets. 
 
To keep children from hurting themselves with window blinds, parents may try to:
  • keep the cord wound on a cleat out of reach
  • cut the cord short
  • use cordless blinds
  • keep cribs, beds, and other furniture away from windows with blinds attached
  • if the cord has a loop, make sure the bottom of the loop is permanently anchored to a wall or floor
  • if possible, ensure that the cord is in the "locked" position
Parent's preventative measures can only do so much to protect children from serious injury or death from window blinds. A child could become entangled in the actual cord used to lift and lower the blinds, but they could also become injured if they get caught in the inner cords that hold the blinds together. Anything a parent can do to keep a window blind cord from becoming wrapped around their child's neck is an essential step to ensuring child safety. 

Defective Window Blinds

The hazards that window blinds pose is nothing new. According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission, the problem has been ongoing for many years and required an investigation into fatal accidents involving window blind cords dating as far back as 1996. Theirpress release on voluntary standards also lists some startling statistics about this household danger.
 
A recent article in the New York Times discusses the fact that the problem remains even after parents and groups have pressured lawmakers to set stricter regulations on the manufacture of window blinds. Even though companies stopped producing blinds with looped pulls in 1995, the rate of child deaths has not been significantly reduced. Without truly cordless blinds, these window coverings may still be dangerous to toddlers and children.

Resources for Parents

Parents and product safety activists have organized their efforts to send companies and law makers a clear message about defective window blinds. Their work continues, but the problem remains. Parents may be interested in learning more about these organizations in order to keep on top of breaking recalls, recent legislation, or tips on how to keep their children safe from household dangers:

Understand Your Options

If a death or serious injury occurred in your family because of hazardous window blinds, you may have legal justification for filing a claim. Depending on the circumstances of your case, you may need benefits for medical treatment, pain and suffering, loss of consortium, and/or funeral expenses. Don't let this emotionally traumatic situation go unpunished if a manufacturer is at fault for your child's injury. You and your family may be able to get help from one of our window cord injury attorneys.
 
A personal injury can devastate a family. While you work towards healing, let your defective products lawyer at the Coye Law Firm work towards resolving your legal claim against a product maker. Call us today at 800-648-4941 for a thorough review of your injury claim.

 

 
 
 

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