Every three minutes, a child is harmed in a toy-related incident, according to a study by Nationwide Children's Hospital (NCH). Throughout the holidays, your child will likely receive several new toys, so ensure all of them meet these standards.
Tips for Buying Toys for the Holidays
As the holiday season is nearing, take a few simple safety precautions to keep your child safe and prevent toy-related injuries.
- Buy a helmet: Riding toys such as scooters are the number one cause of toy-related injuries in children over the age of five, according to the NCH study. If you are buying a scooter or bike for your child, add on a helmet. Lead by example and wear one yourself when riding.
- Read labels: Ensure your child is within the manufacturer’s age recommendations and make sure both you and your child can understand the instructions correctly before using the toy.
- Check for choking hazards: Choking is the primary cause of toy-related injuries for young children. Check for small and loose parts on toys, and avoid purchasing toys that are small enough to fit down a child’s throat.
- Avoid heating elements: If your child is under eight years of age, avoid purchasing toys with heating elements that can increase the risk of burns.
- Remove cords: Toys with pull-cords, strings, or ribbons can be a strangulation threat. Either remove the cords, or avoid those types of toys altogether.
- Wrapping paper, ribbons and bows, and cellophane can all be a choking hazard for young children: Perform a quick clean-up after each unwrapping to keep those items out of the hands of little ones.
Toy-Related Injury Attorney in Atlanta
If your child was seriously injured by a toy, we invite you to call our child injury attorney in Atlanta. Contact the Law Office of Jason R. Schultz today at 404-474-0804 for a free legal consultation to determine if you’re eligible for compensation for damages.