North Carolina Product Liability Blog : North Carolina Product Liability Lawyer & Attorney : D. Hardison Wood : Toy Safety, Child Restraint, Car Seats

It has certainly been busy over the last 24 hours with regard to children product recalls. Yesterday, the FDA warned about using sleep positioners after an infant death.

Over the past 13 years, CPSC and the FDA have received 12 reports of infants between the ages of 1 month and 4 four months who died when they suffocated in sleep positioners or became trapped and suffocated between a sleep positioner and the side of a crib or bassinet.

CPSC and the FDA are warning parents and child care providers to:

* STOP using sleep positioners. Using a positioner to hold an infant on his or her back or side for sleep is dangerous and unnecessary.
* NEVER put pillows, infant sleep positioners, comforters, or quilts under a baby or in a crib.
* ALWAYS place an infant on his or her back at night and during nap time. To reduce the risk of SIDS, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends placing infants to sleep on their backs and not their sides.

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Hyundai is recalling over 139,000 Sonata sedans

because of a manufacturing defect that could cause drivers to lose steering control.

The recall affects 2011 models built between Dec. 11, 2009 and Sept. 10, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration noted on its website Sunday.(article)

An investigation had been opened in August. In February, Hyundai had recalled about 47,000 Sonatas because of faulty front door latches.

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The CPSC said it is investigating possible structural defects that may have caused the bleachers to collapse during East Carolina's first home game this month. According to reports severl people were injured when three to four rows gave way.

Three to four rows of seating gave way, injuring several spectators. Officials removed about 30 other bleachers that showed signs of failing. (Story)

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The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released new report on booster seats. This report is NOT based on crash tests, but rather on the positioning of the belt.

The Institute doesn't conduct vehicle crash tests to evaluate boosters because boosters don't do the restraining in a crash. It's the fit of the belt that's important.

According to the findings, 8 booster seats are not recommended at all. While this number is down from the findings last year - 36 were found to be in the middle.

Even though poor performers make up a smaller percentage of boosters evaluated this year, 36 fall in the middle because they don't consistently fit belts well on most kids in most cars, minivans, and SUVs. Most of these are backless boosters with good lap belt scores but not good shoulder belt scores.

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