Personal Injury Law

Simplicity Inc., a company from Reading, Pennsylvania, made the convertible bassinet known as the Close Sleeper and Bedside Sleeper. Last year, after becoming stuck in the metal bars of the bassinet, a four-month old girl died. Last spring, SFCA, Inc. bought out Simplicity, Inc.'s assets at an auction. Earlier this month, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) learned that a five-month old girl from Kansas was trapped in the bassinet's metal bars and strangled to death. And though the CPSC has asked SFCA, Inc. to recall the bassinet, the company has refused.

While the reasons behind the refusal are unclear, the CPSC stated in a press release warning of the dangers that, "SFCA maintains that it is not responsible for products previously manufactured by Simplicity, Inc." In a statement released late today, SFCA said the CPSC warning "does not involve any product it manufactures or distributes." The company said the warning doesn't include bassinets that were manufactured recently that have fabric over the bars.

"All bassinets produced and sold by SFCA are produced in this manner, with fabric permanently attached over the lower bar, and meet or exceed ASTM standards and CPSC guidelines," they said.

The bassinets the CPSC believes are the most dangerous are the Simplicity 3-in-1 and 4-in-1 convertible bassinets that have metal bars spaced more than 2 3/8 inches. The bars are covered by a fabric flap attached by Velcro. When the bassinet is converted into a bedside position, the fabric folds down. If the Velcro is not secured properly when the bassinet is readjusted, infants may become trapped between the metal bars where they can suffocate or strangle.

The issue here seems not to be the fact that this doesn't affect the most recently made bassinets, but that SFCA refuses to inherit the liability of a product that is still being sold. CPSC has asked the company to withdraw a product it knows has injured and killed infants. They have also warned parents to stop using the bassinets immediately. Still, SFCA, who may acknowledge the bassinet has killed in the past seem to be saying since it didn't happen with a product they manufactured, then it doesn't matter if they own the product or not.

Strange behavior for a company that sells products to parents with new babies and takes their money. Some might even call it unconscionable.

If you or a loved one has an infant who was injured by one of these bassinets, please contact an attorney with experience in product liability in your area.