Litigation

TARGET HALLOWEEN FLASHLIGHT STARTS FIRE IN CHILD'S BED

By Mark P. Loftus, Esq.

Scary story in the Chicago Sun-Times last week involving about a toy flashlight. Midlothian resident Brandi Pavoni had purchased the flashlight at Target for Emily, her three year old daughter. The flashlight included Halloween-themed stencils that could slip over the bulb and be projected onto a wall. The flashlights are depicted below.

Emily went down for a nap with the flashlight next to her. A couple of minutes later, Mom smelled smoke, rushed into Emily's room and saw smoke coming from her bed. The bottom part of the flashlight, opposite the bulb, had melted and burned through the a pillow. Thankfully, Emily was not harmed.

The metal coil touching the battery became too hot and caused the casing to melt, even though the flashlight was switched off. A spokesperson for Target indicated that two models of the toy were pulled from shelves after Target received reports that the flashlight was overheating. Customers who purchased either model may return it to any Target for a full refund.

Full post as published by Illinois Lawyer Blog on October 27, 2009 (boomark / email).