Sometimes it is hard for us to see the dangerous products that exist in our own homes.  A beautiful Christmas decoration could be leaking a deadly toxin.  Or an everyday household item that has the potential to take the lives of young children.

More than 50 million Roman-style shades and roll-up blinds with cords have been recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) for product liability reasons.  This recall of blinds is the biggest in United States history and, for some, has been a long time coming.

Our firm’s personal injury attorneys in San Diego know that any item with a long string, sharp edges, or is easily breakable has the potential to cause children’s injuries and in many cases, wrongful death.  For years, non-profit groups like the Parents for Window Blind Safety have tried to lobby for the product liability recall of blinds world-wide and pushing the federal government to have stricter guidelines for manufacturing these blinds.

The CPSC released reports stating that five deaths and 16 strangulations of children were reported in 2006, a sharp spike from the three deaths documented in 2001.  What do they all have in common?  The fabric-looped Roman shades’ cord can wrap around a child’s neck, cutting off their ability to breath and even causing a spinal cord injury if it snaps the neck.

Wal-Mart and JCPenney are among the several major retailers recalling the blinds.  Several non-profit groups have stated that there was much resistance from the manufacturers of these blinds to make sure they were not creating a dangerous product, but those claims have been refuted by several companies.

“We’re working with the Consumer Product Safety Commission every single day to work within their standards,” said a rep of the Window Covering Safety Council.

The personal injury lawyers at our San Diego firm know that you shouldn’t have to worry about your child’s safety with everyday house hold products, causing bodily harm and requiring medical treatments to fix.  If you are worried that the blinds in your house might be posing a hazard to your children, you can get more information at www.cpsc.gov.

Call us now at 1-858-551-2090 or click here for a free consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney and find out how we can help you.  We speak English and Spanish, and we look forward to providing advice for your case.  No fee if no recovery.