On December 9, 2014, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced the recall of about 10,000 “Dream On Me Incredible” Play Yards. A determination was made that the play yard’s rails can collapse, presenting a strangulation hazard to young children.

 

The play yards, which can be folded for storage, are made with a steel, powder-coated frame base with rolling, hooded casters, and fabric and mesh covering that comes in various colors. The play yard includes a changing top, a toy bar with soft toys for entertainment, a side pocket for storage, and a carrying case. The children’s product was sold online by a variety of internet retailers, including Amazon, Kohls, Toys R US, and Walmart from March 2010 through January 2014.
A recently-instituted safety standard requires that play yards meet the following requirements:

  1. Side rails that do not form a sharp V when the product is folded. This prevents a child from strangling in the side rail
  2. Stronger corner brackets to prevent sharp-edged cracks and to prevent a side-rail collapse; and
  3. Sturdier mattress attachments to the play-yard floor to prevent children from getting trapped or hurt.

The new play yard standard is one of many safety standards that CPSC passed as part of the Danny Keysar Child Product Safety Notification Act, or what is called “Danny’s Law.” Danny Keysar was killed in Chicago in 1998 when a previously recalled play yard in which he was napping collapsed, suffocating him.
At any point during the design and manufacturing process, failures regarding safety issues associated with children’s products may contribute to a product’s hazards. There is simply no excuse for a manufacturer to place a defective children’s product into the streams of commerce, particularly one exhibiting a hazard that is well known, with the potential to cause significant personal injury or wrongful death. If you or a family member have questions about a defective play yard, contact the law office of Swartz & Swartz, P.C. Call (617) 742-1900 in the Boston area, or for clients in greater Massachusetts, New England, or other states across the U.S., call toll-free at 1-800-545-3732.

About the Author: James Swartz
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Mr. Swartz, our Managing and Principal Attorney at Swartz & Swartz P.C., is a nationally recognized and respected trial attorney as well as consumer advocate. His practice focuses on cases involving negligence, torts, products liability, medical malpractice, wrongful death, and other claims involving catastrophic injuries.

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