Personal Injury Law

Defective car seat illustrates risk of dangerous products in Chicago

By Kris Briggs

Last month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced a recall of almost 800,000 child safety seats manufactured by Dorel Juvenile Group (DJG) following a formal investigation that began last March.

Our personal injury lawyers in Chicago are reminding parents to check their car seats because your child's safety could be in jeopardy. Defective products are a growing concern, and in this case, could lead to a serious or fatal injury in an Illinois car accident or a traffic accident elsewhere in the United States.

DJG is recalling the safety seats due to the harness locking and release button not always working sufficiently. The button is designed to return to its locked position but doesn't always do so. As a result, the harness adjustment strap can slide back through the adjuster as a child moves around in the seat. A loose harness endangers the child by not strapping them in safely and can lead to serious or fatal injury in a car crash.

The child safety seats in question were manufactured from May 1, 2008 through April 30, 2009. They have a Center Front Adjuster for the harness. Recalled models include convertible, infant, and booster child restraint systems, sold both as stand-alone seats and as part of a travel system.

DJG is providing all consumers with a remedy kit meant to repair the problem. The kit will include instructions on how to apply the non-toxic lubricant to the Central Front Adjuster in order to prevent the sticking which will then allow the CFA to properly engage and lock into position. Consumers are instructed to apply a repair label once the procedure has been completed so that the problem is known to have been taken care of.

Consumers are still permitted to use the child safety seats up until the kit arrives from DJG. Parents and caregivers can pull on the shoulder part of the harness to make sure it is secure. If loose, they should adjust the harness and make sure the lock and release button is in the locked position before putting the vehicle in drive.

For a full list of models being recalled, consumers can visit Safercar.gov. Consumers can also contact the manufacturer directly by calling 1-866-623-3139.

Full post as published by Illinois Injury Law Blog on March 12, 2011 (boomark / email).