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Crocs are dangerous. No, not the toothy reptiles; the clogs.

By Justin Rogers

Are you a fan of the colorful, rubbery-feeling, plastic clogs known as Crocs? Crocs, Inc. , founded in 2002, produces footwear for men, women, and children and has a $874.4 million total revenue. The Crocs are made using a closed-cell resin material called "Croslite", which is purported to be both comfortable and functional. In fact, Crocs are so comfortable and functional that they could cause the wearer injury.

On the Crocs website , there are a myriad of testimonials claiming that Crocs are great for everything from helping with arthritis and back pain to being the perfect shoe for a wedding. I, having never experienced the cushy comfort that Crocs supposedly provide, cannot say that they're not all that they're cracked up to be. However, some people have been injured by them.

Recently, Crocs, Inc. was cited in a lawsuit when a 3-year-old was permanently injured when her foot was caught in an airport escalator at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta , Georgia . According to the lawsuit, Crocs, Inc. was well aware of the dangerous nature of the shoe when worn by children but continued to market the colorful and trendy shoes to the younger wearer. The mother is asking for $4 million in damages for her daughter.

In February, another lawsuit was filed asking for $7 million in damages when a 3-year-old's was injured on an airport escalator in John F. Kennedy Airport in New York .

In May, Consumer Reports issued a warning pertaining to Crocs and similar soft shoes and their relationship to escalator accidents. The report states that safety groups in the United States and Japan have issued warnings about soft-sided clogs such as Crocs and the potential dangers to escalator riders.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that there were approximately 11,000 escalator related injuries in 2007, ten percent of which occur when hands, feet, or shoes are trapped in escalators. Since January of 2006, there have been a reported 77 entrapment incidents, about half of which resulted in injury. Ninety-seven percent of the entrapment incidents since January of 2006 have involved soft-sided flexible clogs and slides.

To prevent escalator injuries, the CPSC recommends:

1) making sure shoes are tied before getting on an elevator;

2) standing in the center of the step and making sure to step off the escalator at the end of the ride;

3) holding children's hands on escalators and do not permit children to sit or play on the steps;

4) not bringing children onto escalators in strollers, walkers, or carts;

5) facing forward and hold the handrail;

6) avoiding the sides of steps where entrapment can occur; and

7) learning where the emergency shutoff buttons are located in case of an emergency.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Justin Rogers

Full post as published by Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer on August 04, 2008 (boomark / email).