Nap Nanny is Under Product Recall, Parents Still Using the Item
After a sixth infant death was reported, US safety experts said on Tuesday, June 3rd, that consumers must stop using the Nap Nanny, which is still under product recall.
The Nap Nanny was taken off the market by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) last year when the manufacturer refused to issue a product recall, even after reports of strangulation injuries and deaths. However, consumer safety experts worry that the item is still for sale on sites like eBay and Craigslist.
“Our message is: stop using it,” said Scott Wolfson, a spokesman for the commission. “It’s an entrapment and suffocation risk to babies.”
The Nap Nanny was first recalled in 2010 after regulators found that babies could slip in the harness and strangle themselves. However, the parent company, Baby Matters LLC, refused to issue a voluntary product recall for the deadly item, and has battled safety regulators for years over the issue.
The CPSC stated that the Nap Nanny still has design defects, and there are problems with the safety instructions. The government organization said that, since the 2010 redesign, they have received 70 reports of children nearly falling out of the recliners, despite the safety harness. These complaints included 5 deaths. The CPSC’s main complaint is that, although the manufacturer took some steps to improve the recliners’ safety, it is still dangerous due to “reasonably foreseeable use,” which includes improper use of the safety harness, and putting the device on tables or in cribs.
Baby Matters declared bankruptcy after the federal government sued the company in 2012. It is now illegal to sell a Nap Nanny in the US.
To date, about 165,000 Nap Nanny recliners have come under product recall since 2009.
The most recent Nap Nanny victim was an 8-month-old baby girl in New Jersey, who reportedly slipped in the harness and became trapped between the product and her crib bumper, where she suffocated.
In 2012, before the major product recall, four large retailers took the Nap Nanny off their websites: Amazon, Buy Buy Baby, Diapers.com, and Toys R Us/Babies R Us all removed the item, citing the serious safety concerns.
The Strom Law Firm Can Help with Defective Products Cases
Defective products make it to the market for a variety of reasons, and it is important that consumers are aware that they have recourse against manufacturers. Often, these defective products are inadequately tested, or are misrepresented by marketers. Defective products can have manufacturing or design flaws or defects, and if they are improperly tested then these problems will go unnoticed until consumers begin to complain.
If you or a loved one purchased a Nap Nanny or Chill baby recliner, it is important that you take advantage of this recall. If your child has suffered personal injury or wrongful death due to one of the Nap Nanny baby recliners, the Strom Law Firm can help. We offer free, confidential consultations to discuss the facts of your case. Do not hesitate to contact us regarding personal injury cases. 803.252.4800
