Retailer Sued after Child Dies in Defective Crib

An Omaha retailer, Hayneedle, Inc., is being sued by the parents of a 1-year-old boy who was allegedly asphyxiated in a defective crib accident, reports BostonHerald.com.

Hayneedle operated as Netshops Inc. at the time of the child’s death in 2008.  The child was in a Simplicity Ellis Deluxe 4-in-1 Convertible Sleep System crib when he got trapped between the crib’s mattress and the frame.  He died at Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro on January 30, 2008.

The lawsuit alleges Hayneedle was grossly negligent in failing to warn them about the crib’s dangerous and defective characteristics, and of the proper method of assembling, using and maintaining the crib.

This death was a key factor in prompting the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to recall full-size Simplicity cribs with tubular metal mattress-support frames in April.  This construction poses a risk of serious injury or death due to entrapment, strangulation, suffocation and falling.  Since 2007, more than 2 million Simplicity cribs have been recalled.

A CPSC spokesman called the Simplicity cribs one of the deadliest products in recent years and has advised parents with this brand of the crib to stop using them.  Some retailers have offered replacements and that information may be found at www.cpsc.gov/info/cribs/index.html.

No matter what consumer product you are using, you should be able to trust that the product is safe and that you have been given proper warning of any risks the product poses.  If you have lost someone in an untimely manner due to a dangerous product, our attorneys are available to help you.  For a free consultation of your legal claim throughout the state of Pennsylvania, contact the Scranton, Pennsylvania attorneys of Munley, Munley & Cartwright by submitting an online form or calling us at 1-800-318-LAW1.