Defective Cribs Recalled Due to Risk of Infant Suffocation and Entrapment–Massachusetts Consumers Urged to Immediately Stop Using Affected Cribs

In late November, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced that Stork Craft Manufacturing was voluntarily recalling approximately 1.2 million cribs distributed in the United States and 968,000 distributed in Canada.  This recall comes in the wake of reports of several infant wrongful deaths.  Due to flaws in the cribs’ drop-side plastic hardware, the drop-side can detach creating a space between the crib mattress and the drop-side.  As a result of this product defect, infants can become trapped in the space and suffocate. Where the drop-side detaches completely, infants run the risk of falling.

CPSC, Stork Craft, and Health Canada are aware of 110 incidents of drop-side detachment; 67 incidents occurred in the United States and 43 in Canada. The incidents include 15 entrapments, with four entrapments resulting in suffocation.  Included in these incidents are 20 falls from cribs with personal injuries ranging from concussion to bumps and bruises. 

This recall involves Stork Craft drop-side cribs distributed and manufactured between 1993 and 2009, and Stork Craft drop-side cribs with the Fisher-Price logo sold after 1998.  The recall does not involve cribs without a drop-side or with a non-plastic drop-side.  Major Massachusetts retailers sold these recalled cribs in stores, including BJ’s Wholesale Club, J.C. Penney, Kmart, Sears, and Wal-Mart stores, and online at Amazon.com, Babiesrus.com, Costco.com, Target.com, and Walmart.com.

Massachusetts consumers should immediately stop using the recalled cribs, and contact Stork Craft for a free repair kit that converts the drop-side to a fixed-side.  Consumers should not attempt to fix the cribs without the repair kit and should find alternative and safe sleeping arrangements for infants until the crib is repaired.  For additional information, contact Stork Craft toll-free at (877) 274-0277 anytime to order the free repair kit, or log on to www.storkcraft.com. 

CPSC also provides several tips for general crib safety  Parents should not use any crib with missing, broken, or loose parts.  Hardware should be tightened from time to time to keep the crib sturdy. When using a drop-side crib, parents should check to make sure the drop-side or any other moving part operates smoothly, and should always check all sides and corners of the crib for disengagement. Any disengagement can create a gap and entrap a child. In addition, do not try to repair any side of the crib, especially with tape, wire or rope.  Complete information is available at the CPSC website.

If you need assistance with a case involving personal injury, or wrongful death resulting from a defective crib or other defective product, please contact the attorneys at the Boston firm of Breakstone, White and Gluck. You can consult with an experienced product liability lawyer, toll free, at 800-379-1244.