Toys are usually made to bring fun and enjoyment to children. However, there are times when the way a toy is designed can cause problems and can even result in physical harm to a child in Illinois or in any other state. This turned out to be the case with the toy product known as Buckyballs. The toy is now being recalled after a regulating agency ruled that the toy is a dangerous product for children.
The ruling came from the Consumer Product Safety Commission after consumer advocates fought two years to rid the marketplace of the toy product, which consists of powerful magnetic balls made to stack on top of one another. The problem started when children began accidentally swallowing the magnetic balls. Since the toys are abnormally strong magnets, once swallowed, they can become a serious health problem for children.
The commission has given consumers six months to send in applications for refunds of the small powerful magnetic balls. The former head of the toy company has been held personally liable for the refunds, which is not typical since individual executives are usually not named as defendants for these types of cases. The former executive will now be forced to pay a maximum amount of $375,000 in consumer refunds. However, after this amount is exceeded no other refunds will be honored.
If one has a child who has been injured by this dangerous product in Illinois or in any other state one may wish to consider taking legal action before all of the available refund money is gone. This is also true of any other dangerous toy product which has caused injury to one’s child. However, one will have to be able to legally prove that one’s child’s injury has indeed been caused by the specific product.
Source: The New York Times, “After Two-Year Fight, Consumer Agency Orders Recall of Buckyballs“, Rachel Abrams, July 17, 2014