Just 2 weeks after Stroller giant Maclaren voluntarily recalled 1 million of their strollers in North America, a group of at least 15 British families have launched their own lawsuit claiming their children suffered severed fingertips in foldable baby strollers.

Attorneys for the parents say they have collected a dossier of such cases for their suit against Maclaren Europe Ltd., the British manufacturer of the baby buggies.

The suit comes on top of a recall of 1 million of the strollers by Maclaren after reports surfaced that 12 U.S. children lost parts of their fingers. The recall involved distributing a cover to fit over the strollers’ hinges.

Despite Maclaren’s claims that there is no issue with their products in the UK, lawyers have spoken to numerous parents now whose children have suffered a lifetime injury from using something that is specifically designed to be used for small children.

Richard Langton, partner with law firm Russell, Jones and Walker said,

“Infants whose fingers are at risk of being fractured, crushed, or amputated in the UK deserve the same protection as those in America. Why are new buggies not being sold now with the same protective hinge covers and warning labels which are being provided in America? How many more children must suffer amputations before the UK authorities act?”

Last month Maclaren agreed to issue special “safety kits” for British parents concerned about its pushchairs, in a U-turn forced by consumer groups, after previously insisting such action was not necessary in the UK.

The company says on its Web site:

“We would like to reassure all Maclaren users that their buggy is not only perfectly safe to use, but meets and often exceeds EU, U.S. and Australian product safety and quality standards. Should they follow our safety instructions while folding or unfolding their stroller, the risk of accidents is nil.”

Like the UK parents, I don’t understand how the recall doesn’t apply to parents in other parts of the world if the strollers are all the same.

Related Articles:

• Maclaren USA Recalls 1 Million Strollers to Repair Hinge Following Fingertip Amputations

SOURCE

Rebecca Smithers, consumer affairs correspondent @ the guardian

More than 15 families who claim their children were injured by fold-up pushchairs to take legal action

A group of UK parents today announced plans to sue the UK-based pushchair manufacturer Maclaren, claiming that their children’s fingertips were severed by their fold-up buggies.

More than 15 families have sought legal advice amid allegations that the firm knew more than a year ago that its products had injured children.

Safety concerns came to light last month when the company, which has its UK base in Long Buckby, Northamptonshire, announced the recall of a million buggies in the US after 12 reports of children having parts of their fingers cut off.

Richard Langton, a partner with the law firm Russell, Jones and Walker, has gathered a dossier of claims against the buggy company by British parents and is urging Trading Standards to issue a full recall in the UK to stop any further injuries.

“Despite Maclaren’s claims that there is no issue with their products in the UK, I have seen and spoken to numerous parents now whose children have suffered a lifetime injury from using something that is specifically designed to be used for small children,” he said.

“Infants whose fingers are at risk of being fractured, crushed, or amputated in the UK deserve the same protection as those in America. Why are new buggies not being sold now with the same protective hinge covers and warning labels which are being provided in America? How many more children must suffer amputations before the UK authorities act?”

Read more?

The big hitters on the world stage are in ‘vunderful, vunderful Copenhagen’, talking about climate change and controlling carbon emissions. Here, in ‘dear old Blighty’, the government are arguing for a 200% increase in air travel at the same time as other pressure groups are advising us all to let the train take the strain, and cut out short haul flights all together.

When it comes to climate change and green house gases etc. I’m still something of a fence sitter. A victim of the internet age and information overload. Whilst the evidence is compelling, there are equally good arguments for nature and cycles, and the fact that the planet has warmed and frozen and warmed with no assistance from man whatsoever. I mean, not to many 4×4’s around when huge swathes of the Ice Age thawed.

What tends to be forgotten is the amount of investment that would be needed to make the trains a viable option for many in this country. Yes, it’s possible to do London to Paris or even further a field using high speed rail lines, but try doing that from Edinburgh, or worse Aberdeen. It takes the better part of the day just to get to London.

If the government were really serious about cutting emissions, they’d make it near impossible for people to object to the placement of wind farms, instead, everyone says, yes, we want green power, but not in my back yard, ruining my view of the hillside. We should just encase these in plastic shells making them look like Windy Miller’s place of work. Far more scenic. That said, 300 hundred years ago when the flour milling industry was taking off, I bet the locals complained about unsightly windmills too.

For that matter, every new build home in the country should have solar panels fitted to the roof. Possibly even a wind turbine too. Make it easier for owners of existing homes to get these fitted and voila! Reliance on traditionally generated power drops. Oops, of course, silly me. The power company profits would drop too.

If action is to be taken to “save the planet”, profits need to be given the elbow. Where exactly would all the money be spent anyway? The cockroach motel?

—————

Ooh, it makes me right irate. I read this at lunchtime, http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2009/dec/09/parents-sue-buggy-maker-maclaren

Since when did it become acceptable to sue a third party for your own stupidity? Something folds up, therefore it has hinges and parts that close on each other. Common sense would dictate that when folding a buggy, keep the kids away from it. It’s not like these things were faulty. I’d have thought the fact that the buggy must have stuck and needed a good force to make it close on the wee one’s fingers would have been enough of a clue.

The only thing needing recalled is the sperm of the father of the parent’s who are suing the company. Would they sue Russell Hobbs because the kettle got hot?

Maclaren Calming Bath Milk, 100ml / 3.4 fl oz Review

Check Price Now!

Maclaren Calming Bath Milk, 100ml / 3.4 fl oz Feature

Maclaren Calming Bath Milk, 100ml / 3.4 fl oz Overview

Maclaren Calming Bath Milk, 100ml / 3.4 fl ozA pure blend of organic oils infused with 100% pure essential oils to gently cleanse and soothe baby at bath time. The calming aroma of Lavender soothes baby into a restful state, while Geranium and Mandarin instil comfort and serenity.Purposeful Daily RoutineTo prepare baby for deep slumber.DirectionsAdd 1 capful to a tepid bath and agitate the water or pour a small amount onto a wet washcloth. Can be used on hair.IngredientsOlea Europaea (Olive Oil)*, Sorbitan Peroleate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Almond Oil)*, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba Oil)*, Vitis Vinifera (Grape Seed Oil)*, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender Oil)*, Pelargonium Graveolens (Geranium Oil)*, Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin Oil)*, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), and Linalool.Certified Organic*

Maclaren Calming Bath Milk, 100ml / 3.4 fl oz Specifications

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Dec 09, 2009 10:21:11

Asus EEE PC Seashell 1105 HA

I have a Maclaren buggy and with the recent bad publicity, I am a bit worried that my little baby gets her fingers snapped. Lucky enough (and touch wood), I always set her stroller only when she is not around (when she is still in her car seat and i am setting up outside the car).

In the US, they actually recalled most of the new Maclaren stroller and complaints in UK have been raised by parents with injured toddlers.

The Maclaren is good because it is easy to fold or unfold and very light. But this big pro actually becomes a big con as it is not 100% safe…

Can’t get the whole stroller thing out of my mind. I keep imagining how those moms must have felt, innocently opening up a stroller and next thing you know, wham! …on the way to the ER.  Then, then having the company say it was your fault mom…not ours! Well, I don’t buy it; but even so, what about the second through 11th child who lost fingertips because Maclaren failed to issue a recall?  Mom’s fault? I think not! The company knew these pint-sized pintos were harming kids; and like so many companies before, just dumped all info into risk/benefit calculations (risk outweighing silence at #12). Then, when it had to finally break down and issue a recall (because it was good for the company), the PR approach was to still insist on product safety and blame the very customers who line their pockets! Greedy and shameless.

Nota di Pao: Ne avevo già parlato tempo fa, ma in questo articolo di Altroconsumo vi sono alcuni riferimenti in più, in modo da poter richiedere il Kit di sicurezza.

°°°

La MacLaren, nota azienda britannica di prodotti per bambini, ha ritirato dal mercato americano un milione di passeggini con chiusura a ombrello. La cerniera laterale ha provocato l’amputazione di un dito a 12 bambini durante la fase di apertura o chiusura.

Il ritiro riguarda nove modelli, fabbricati in Cina, in vendita dal 1999: Volo, Triumph, Quest Sport, Quest Mod, Techno XT, TechnoXLR, Twin Triumph, Twin Techno e Easy Traveller.

Chiedere il kit di sicurezza
Chiedete il kit per la messa in sicurezza delle cerniere laterali e, fino a quando non l’avrete montato, prestate la massima attenzione nelle operazioni di apertura e chiusura del passeggino. Il kit è formato da un triangolo da applicare sulla cerniera laterale che impedisce al bambino di infilare le dita nel meccanismo e, nello stesso tempo, non intralcia le operazioni di chiusura e apertura del passeggino.

Lo potete richiedere attraverso i negozi che vendono prodotti MacLaren o direttamente scrivendo uma email a info-it@maclaren.fr.

Si possono avere informazioni telefonando al numero 0033 (0)1.48.63.11.85, vi risponderanno in italiano, anche se si tratta di un numero francese (attenzione quindi alle tariffe), purtroppo invece poche e solo in inglese e in francese le informazioni presenti sul sito www.maclarenbaby.com.

Perché in Europa non c’è stato il ritiro?
Gli stessi modelli sono in vendita anche nei paesi europei, ma secondo la MacLaren i prodotti non verranno ritirati, perché sono conformi agli standard europei di sicurezza (EN18888) che sono diversi da quelli americani.

MacLaren parla di “scorretto utilizzo del prodotto”, non di problema progettuale, ma la Direttiva europea relativa alla sicurezza generale dei prodotti (2001/95/CE) definisce prodotto sicuro un “prodotto che in condizioni di uso normale o ragionevolmente prevedibili [come aprire e chiudere un passeggino pieghevole ndr] non presenti alcun rischio”.

La chiusura a cerniera laterale può intrappolare le dita dei bambini sia nella fase di apertura sia in quella di chiusura del passeggino.

Fonte: www.altroconsumo.it

   Various models of Maclaren strollers were recalled in the U.S. on November 9 this year because of reports of amputated fingers of children.   What gets me is that the recall was engaged due to 12 reports of childrens’ fingertips being amputated, and several other reports of lacerations.  So, apparently, one report wasn’t enough to warrant recall; neither were two, nor three. Neither 11.  Rather, Twelve children losing fingertips was what it took for moms unwittingly pushing their beloved kidlets around in what self-proclaims to be one of the safest strollers available to be informed of the danger and offered a solution. The company acknowledges that moms might be expected to be angry (think?).  Really, you don’t say!

   I have been thinking about contacting the company to find out how the number 12 was decided to be so magical. Today, I came across Baby Bargain Books Blog, whose authors did in fact call the company for answers to parents’ questions. Apparently, the injured children –according to Denise and Alan Fields’ (blog authors) report of what Maclaren had to say– were injured due to their parent’s failure to follow instructions, allowing their kids to be nearby while opening or closing the strollers. (In other words, it’s the parents’ fault the company says, the human factor.  Hmmm…good thing these strollers weren’t designed for use by humans!)  Unfortunately, I still have no idea why it took 12 kids injured before protective hinge covers (let alone information/warnings) were made available.   I believe I will have to look into this.

Engel & Bengel – Schönes fürs Baby, Kind, Kinderzimmer und Sie

In dem Onlineshop können Sie sowohl Kindermöbel, als auch schöne Babyartikel und Kinderaccessoires bestellen. Sie führen Lexington, Théophile & Patachou, Renata Köllgen, Room Seven, Green Gate, Cath Kidston, TajWood & Scherer, Oliver Furniture, Théophile & Patachou, imps&elfs, Petit Bateau, Converse, Balbina, BellyButton, The Laundress, Anna & Paul. Neben Kindertapeten, origineller Wandgestaltung für das Kinderzimmer und traumhaften Kinderlampen finden Sie bei uns noch jede Menge andere ausgefallene Produkte für das Kinderzimmer.

Yesterday I commented on this blog about the news that Maclaren had issued repair kits for some of its pushchairs in the US but not in the rest of the world.

The UK government is now calling on Maclaren to issue safety repair kits to customers in the UK, putting the company further on the backfoot. It’s easy to say the company should have been consistent on safety standards from the start, and not be starting from this position. But given Maclaren is where it is, what should it be doing now?

It’s hard to see how it can do anything but to issue the repair kits on an international basis, and to wheel out a suitably humble chief executive in front of the TV screens to apologise for the poor handling of the situation and to articulate the lessons that have been learnt.

This post was written by Regester Larkin director, Andrew Fairburn.

The safety of baby strollers is very important. If you own a Maclaren stroller, please read the details of the recall here to find out if it is applicable to your stroller.

Source BBC News, 11 Nov 2009

BBC NEWS | UK | Maclaren will probe buggy claims.

Since MacLaren recalled 1,000,000 of their buggies in the US a few days ago, because a few children had their fingers amputated after trapping them in buggy hinges, they have received a number of complaints in the UK about similar occurences over here and they are now investigating. The models that have the suspect folding mechanism are the Volo, Triumph, Quest Sport, Quest Mod, Techno XT, TechnoXLR, Twin Triumph, Twin Techno and Easy Traveller).

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has stated they were ‘a very serious hazard’ and around a million of the safety kits were sent out in what Americans describe as a product ‘recall’. Yet, Maclaren weren’t going to do anything over here, because trading standards were different. That to me shouldn’t be a reason to take action in one country yet do nothing in another.

People are saying children shouldn’t go near buggies when they are being collapsed, but it happens and the safety of children is paramount, so I think everything should be done to prevent any future injuries.

And here I was just thinking about buying a lightweight Maclaren for when our baby gets too heavy for all-day downtown adventures in our beloved Ergo. No Maclarens for us! It’s sickening to think of 12 little people that got their fingertips chopped off with these things. Maclaren’s tagline is “What mothers need, what babies want” – but that’s not even the worst part. When you visit their site, you get this absurd pop-up:

“Safety is at the heart of the Maclaren ethos. It has shaped our culture and our practices. Maclaren has zero tolerance for anything that compromises safety. This policy is central to our product design, development, manufacture and service. It is this practice that also makes us the highest quality manufacturer.”

And the “Recall” link is a tiny one at the top that no one except the most paranoid would ever think to click on.

What kind of crisis PR team came up with that response to a recall?? It’s so MacCrappy, it should be illegal. The first pop-up should say “Step away from the Maclaren!” and have an instant “order safety covers” link! This lack of responsibility is insane.

The scariest part is that after the Bugaboo, Maclarens are the most common strollers in our neighborhood. There seem to be hundreds of styles, and now it looks like they should all be put in a closet until the hinge covers arrive from Maclaren. But I don’t think I’d trust a company after a screw-up like this…

Whatever lightweight stroller we eventually opt for, I know I’ll be doing a lot of testing of parts that would have never occured to me before.

Scary to think that are so many baby products in our homes that have the potential to injure our little ones. I love our Bumbo seat (because Oliver loves it) but am pretty weary of the whole tipping-over-backwards phenomenon I’ve read about.

Makes you wonder how much testing is really enough. And whether you can trust these companies who clearly have their bottom line prioritized much higher than kids’ safety.

Are American children’s fingers more valuable than the fingers of children elsewhere? This is the question that many parents will be asking following pushchair-maker Maclaren’s decision to ‘recall’ a million pushchairs in the US but not elsewhere in the world (Maclaren is actually issuing repair kits instead of pursuing a traditional product recall, but the principle holds true). The decision to recall the pushchairs was made after a total of 12 US toddlers lost their fingers in the pushchairs’ folding mechanisms.

The case echoes the situation nearly 20 years ago when Perrier made the disastrous decision to withdraw its bottled water from sale in the States following the discovery of traces of Benzene but not elsewhere. Consumer pressure eventually forced the company to withdraw the product worldwide, but by then the damage had been done. Perrier was seen to procrastinate, be inconsistent and only grudgingly put the interests of customers first. The company never really recovered and was later taken over by food giant Nestlé.

The lesson for Maclaren? Above all, be consistent. In the world of global media, a company cannot afford to pick ‘n’ mix on safety standards. If the problem is bad enough to issue repair kits for buggies in the States, then it is bad enough to issue repair kits elsewhere.

The second lesson is that whatever decision a company makes in such circumstances, it has got to be seen to put the interests of its customers first. The risks of trying to save a bit of cash on a product recall rarely outweigh the long-term cost to a company of a damaged reputation. Prudent over-reaction should be the guiding principle – although companies that genuinely believe in the integrity of their products should not lack confidence in fighting their case.

Maclaren is a great brand. Its shareholders will be watching its upcoming sales figures like hawks.

This post was written by Regester Larkin director, Andrew Fairburn.

Please go to Short on Cents for important  information regarding this MacLaren recall.

Thanks, Angie

According to Parenting.com, Maclaren USA is recalling ALL of their single and double umbrella strollers sold from 1999 through November 2009. Reports that that the hinge mechanism in the back of the stroller can cut (or cut off) children’s fingertips has prompted the recall. You can contact Maclaren USA (877-688-2326, OR www.maclaren.us/recall) for a repair kit.

Je n’arrive pas à choisir entre un infanticide sur roulette et un aveugle contre l’ubiquité
(MacLaren 0 – Rupert Murdoch 1)

Over 1 million MacLaren strollers have been recalled. The recall affects many different models starting from  1999 to the present. The strollers pose a finger amputation hazard. Please see the link for more information.

MacLaren Strollers