Sportspower Recalls Children’s Waterslides Due to Injury Hazard

Last week, on November 28, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced that Sportspower Ltd., of Hong Kong, is recalling about 1,500 units of  Liquid Motion waterslides. The waterslides, which were manufactured in China, were sold from April 2010 through July 2010 for about $300 exclusively at Menards Inc.

The recalled waterslides are blue and yellow and measure about 18 feet long by 9 feet high by 5 feet wide, with the item number INF-1375 and UPC 687064031340 located on the packaging. The Liquid Motion waterslides pose a risk of serious neck injuries to consumers. The weight limit printed on the warning labels is inappropriate and does not reference a prohibition on sliding head-first. New warning labels state that consumers 13 years or older, and/or consumers that weigh over 100 lbs., should not attempt to slide down the slide. Also, the warning label provides instructions on how to more safely use the slide.
At any point during the design and manufacturing process, failures regarding safety issues associated with pool and other outdoor slides and recreational equipment may contribute to a product’s hazards, including (1) missteps during the early design stages; (2) inadequate testing to ensure safe performance; and (3) marketing efforts that include inadequate instructions and warnings, or failure to include any relevant cautions. Even one act of negligence during the process from the product’s conception to its sale can cause catastrophic injuries and even wrongful death once the product reaches homes, schools, and workplaces of consumers.
If you or a family member have suffered significant personal injuries as the result of a defective product, 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.