Shopping for Christmas Toys? Check This Recall List Twice

As Santa Claus checks his naughty or nice list, you should check your naughty or nice list too. Only your list should check the naughtiness of Christmas toys and whether they appear on a list of recalled products.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission maintains a toy hazard recall list. If you open this list on your browser, you will notice that it's quite long. And you'll also notice some common safety risks that have led to toy recalls.

In fact, some safety risks are so common they warrant some extra attention. Here are three oft-cited areas of concern leading to toy recalls:

1. Choking hazards. Toys that contain small parts can pose a choking hazard for young children. Yet parents still buy, and manufacturers still produce, children's toys with small parts that can easily be swallowed. Many infant rattles are subject to the recall. Even some toys aimed at older children and adults have been cited like Buckyballs, which teens have been putting in their mouths to imitate tongue piercings.
2. Laceration dangers. Action toys like pogo sticks, scooters, and toy swords have been recalled due to laceration concerns. Surprisingly, some seemingly safe toys like a build-a-bear set and toy penguins have also been recalled over cuts.
3. Lead paint. Similar to choking hazards, lead paint is primarily a concern for infant toys. As you know, infants love to put things in their mouths. So if that shiny new toy is coated in lead paint, your child may be sucking on a toxic substance. Toy cars, action figures, and Barbies have all been recalled due to lead paint.

The CPSC list of Christmas toy recalls is too long to review with any detail, and includes a wide range of items including toy guns and plush dolls. You'll probably want to do a "control F" search of the list to see if anything you purchased appears. If so, you should return the product or contact the manufacturer for repairs.

And if you or your child have been injured by a recalled toy, consider speaking with a product liability attorney to learn about your rights to collect damages.

Related Resources:

• Product Liability (FindLaw)
• Dangerous Baby & Kids' Products (FindLaw)
• Fisher-Price Recall: 10 Million Toys Recalled (FindLaw's Common Law)