The pride and joy of many parents in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, are their children. Many mothers and fathers will do and give practically anything to their children just to see them smile. They buy them clothes, toys and accessories, including items like the Teenage Mutant Ninja wristwatch, which is available at Toys R Us and other department stores.
However, one mother is now regretting her decision to buy that wristwatch for her 6-year-old son after an incident that put the boy’s safety at risk. According to a report, the woman’s son suffered burn injuries caused by an alleged defect in the wristwatch. The defect allegedly resulted from a corrosive substance that leaked out of the digital watch, which eventually leads to a burn injury.
As a result, the mother has filed a product liability lawsuit against the product’s manufacturer and Toys R Us. She is seeking $80 million in damages from both defendants. The alleged defective wristwatch was purchased at one branch of Toys R Us in New Jersey. The watch was manufactured by M.Z. Berger, which makes clocks, watches, bags and accessories. Toys R Us recently stated that they cannot comment on pending litigation.
Manufacturers of children’s toys, accessories and products should be extremely careful when designing, producing and manufacturing such items and their main priority should be the safety of consumers, particularly children. Any form of defect or hazard caused by a product can be the liability of the manufacturer, supplier and even the store that distributes the defective items.
In a product liability case, the defendant’s liability may include the victim’s medical expenses, rehabilitation as well as pain and suffering. This liability may also include all forms of damages caused by the defective product.
Source: DailyFinance, “Mom Sues Toys R Us, Firm for $80M, Says Watch Burned Son,” Erik Sherman, Oct. 3, 2014