Several crib manufacturers have issued a defective product recall for more than 2 million cribs because of concerns that babies can suffocate, become trapped or fall from the cribs. According to an Associated Press news report, Evenflo, Delta Enterprise Corp, Child Craft, Jardine Enterprises, LaJobi, Million Dollar Baby and Simmons Juvenile Products are all involved in this crib recall.

A majority of the recalled cribs are drop-side cribs. These are cribs, which have a side rail that can detach from the crib creating a hazardous gap where babies can become trapped, suffocate and even die. So far, no fatalities have been linked to the recalled cribs, but there were more than 250 reports of drop-sides detaching or failing and at least 16 cases of entrapments. In one case, an infant was found unconscious and had to be hospitalized for treatment.

Cribs Linked to Serious Personal Injury and Death

If you have one of these cribs at home or at a daycare facility, please stop using them right away and contact manufacturers for repair kits that will immobilize the drop-side making it more secure for children. This recall brings the total number of drop-side cribs recalled to about 9 million. These cribs have been linked to the deaths of at least 46 children since 2000.

Members of Congress have also been taking active steps to ban these “death traps,” which also have the potential to cause serious personal injuries. Recently introduced legislation by New York Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand, aims to outlaw the manufacture and sale of drop-side cribs. Although these types of cribs have been used for decades, experts say they are not safe or sturdy now as they were before because instead of metal rods, drop-side cribs now have plastic tracking guides for the drop-sides, which can degenerate and break over time.

Time for New Laws

It is about time that our legislators took this matter seriously. Far too many young lives have been unnecessarily lost because several companies that made or imported these defective cribs did not take timely measures to recall them in spite of knowing that they were causing serious injuries or death. I commend the parents of some of these children who have had the courage to come forward and create awareness about these defective cribs in spite of the grief and heartache they have themselves experienced and continue to experience. If your child has been injured or killed as a result of a defective drop-side crib, please contact an experienced California personal injury lawyer to get more information about your legal rights and options.

Do you own or have you used one of these drop side cribs? What has your experience with these cribs been like?