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CPSC announced the baby walkers fail to meet the federal safety standard because they can fit through a standard doorway and are not designed to stop at the edge of a step as required. [1] The walkers also have leg openings that allow the child to slip down until the child’s head can become entrapped at the neck, and babies using these walkers can be seriously injured or killed. [1]
Violation of Federal Safety Standards
The recalled walkers violate mandatory federal safety standards for infant walkers. The violations create multiple hazards including falls down stairs and head entrapment leading to strangulation.
Walkers Fit Through Standard Doorways
The defective walkers are narrow enough to pass through standard residential doorways. Federal standards require walkers to be too wide to fit through doorways, preventing access to stairs and other hazards.
Failure to Stop at Step Edges
The walkers lack mechanisms to detect and stop at the edges of steps as required by federal regulations. Compliant walkers must have gripping mechanisms or other systems preventing movement beyond step edges.
Oversized Leg Openings
The leg openings in the walker seats are larger than federal standards permit. Excessive opening size allows infants to slide downward through the seats.
Head Entrapment at Neck
Infants slipping through the oversized leg openings become trapped with their heads caught at neck level. Neck entrapment causes strangulation when body weight compresses the throat against the seat material.
Falls Down Stairs
The walkers that fit through doorways allow infants access to staircases. The walkers roll over step edges and tumble down stairs with infants trapped inside, causing severe head trauma and fractures.
Recalled Model and Features
The recall covers Kids & Koalas-branded foldable baby walkers with model number X002. The walkers feature eight wheels and seats with adjustable height settings.
Colors Available
The recalled walkers were sold in grey, black, green, pink, blue, and white colors. The Kids & Koalas logo is printed on the front of the tray and on the back of the seat.
Sold September 2017 Through July 2018
The walkers were sold exclusively on Amazon.com for between $89 and $123. The eleven-month sales period violated federal law by distributing non-compliant infant walkers to thousands of families.
Dismantle and Discard Remedy
Amazon provides refunds but consumers must immediately stop using the walkers, dismantle them, and throw them away. The remedy does not involve repair because the walkers cannot be modified to meet federal safety standards.
Infant Deaths in Non-Compliant Walkers
Infants have died in baby walkers that violate federal safety standards through falls down stairs and head entrapment. Federal regulations were enacted following multiple infant fatalities in defective walkers.
Design Defects in Width and Gripping
The walkers designed to fit through doorways and without step-detection mechanisms are defectively designed. Safe walker design requires sufficient width to prevent doorway passage and gripping systems to stop at step edges.
Design Defect in Leg Opening Size
The leg openings designed larger than federal standards allow are defectively designed. Proper leg opening sizing prevents infants from slipping through seats while allowing comfortable leg movement.
Violation of Mandatory Infant Walker Standards
The walkers violate the mandatory federal safety standard for infant walkers codified in 16 CFR 1216. The standard prohibits walkers that fit through doorways, lack step-stopping mechanisms, or have oversized leg openings.
Negligent Failure to Comply With Regulations
Manufacturing and selling walkers that violate known federal safety standards constitutes negligence. Manufacturers and sellers have a duty to ensure infant products meet all applicable safety regulations before distribution.
Breach of Implied Warranty
Utomen and Amazon breached implied warranties by selling walkers unfit for safe infant use. Products violating mandatory federal safety standards fail basic fitness and merchantability requirements.
Amazon’s Responsibility as Seller
Amazon sold the products exclusively through its platform despite the federal violations. Online marketplaces bear responsibility for ensuring sold products comply with consumer safety laws.
Strangulation From Neck Entrapment
Infants trapped at the neck level in walker seats suffocate when body weight compresses their throats. Young infants lack the strength to pull themselves upward to relieve pressure on their airways.
Severe Head Injuries From Falls
Falls down stairs in walkers cause traumatic brain injuries, skull fractures, and spinal cord damage. Infants trapped in walkers cannot protect themselves during tumbling falls down multiple steps.
Contact an Attorney
If your child suffered injuries from falls or entrapment in a Kids & Koalas baby walker, contact a product liability attorney. Preserve the walker with the model number X002, purchase confirmation from Amazon.com, photographs showing the leg openings and width, medical records documenting injuries from falls or entrapment, and refund documentation from Amazon.
References
1. https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2020/Kids-and-Koalas-Baby-Walkers-Recalled-Due-to-Fall-and-Entrapment-Hazards-Sold-Exclusively-on-Amazon-com-Recall-Alert