Litigation

CROCS AND ESCALATORS A BAD MIX

By Mark P. Loftus, Esq.

According to any number of recent reports, Crocs, the popular rubber shoe every kid seems to be wearing these days, may present a danger when worn on escalators. The report mentioned a recent situation involving a young girl injured at an airport. The girl[who was three at the time] and her mother were making their way through an airport on their way to a Disney vacation. At some point in the airport, they had to utilize an escalator. The young girl was weaing Crocs and one of her shoes became entangled in the escalator. It took emergency personnel a full 15 mintues to free the little girl. As a result of the incident the child suffered three broken toes and had to endure surgery where pins were placed in her foot. The girl's mother filed suit against the maker of the shoes, alleging the manufacturer knew the shoes could cause harm and didn't warn consumers.

And the manufacturer is already battling a lawsuit involving injuries to another small child when that child's Croc became entangled in an escalator at JFK Airport.

In a May 20, 2008 post on the Consumer Reports blog, Consumer Products spokesperson Julie Vallese noted Crocs are a new product on the market that "...poses a risk." [Unfortunately technical difficulties precluded a link to the blog].

The Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends following certain steps in order to avoid injures on escalators. I have summarized some of those recommendations below:

1) Make sure any laced shoes are properly tied;
2) Stand in the center of the step, as entrapment can occur on the side;
3) Always hold the hand of any small child riding with you;
4) Do not permit children to play or sit on the step;
5) Do not bring strollers, walkers or similar contraptions onto the escalator;
6) Always face forward and hold the handrail;
7) Know the location of any shut-off mechanism.

Full post as published by Illinois Lawyer Blog on July 17, 2008 (boomark / email).