Bumbo baby seats have been recalled due to the risk that children can fall out of them and suffer serious injuries, including skull fractures — there have been 112 reported incidents, including 24 skull fractures. The seats were previously recalled in 2007 to place warnings about using the seat on an elevated surfaces, but dozens of injuries have occurred since then. In the newest recall, the CPSC is warning that the Bumbo baby seat can e unsafe at any height — even on the ground.
What You Can Do & How a Bumbo Baby Seat Lawsuit Can Help
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Bumbo baby seat induced injury cases in all 50 states. If your child or somebody you know has been injured by a Bumbo baby seat, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Product Liability Litigation Group or call us toll-free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
Overview
The Bumbo baby seat is a molded piece of foam with a horseshoe-shaped leg openings, designed to hold a sitting infant. The base is about 15 inches in diameter, flat, and round. It comes in a variety of colors and is sold for about $50 at stores like Walmart, Target, Sears, Toys R Us, Babies R Us, and more. It is manufactured by Bumbo International, a South Africa-based company.
What is the problem?
Babies can wiggle or maneuver out of the seat, fall, and suffer a skull fracture — even when the seat is on the ground. If a baby falls out of the seat when it is on an elevated surface, this can cause a life-threatening head injury.
Bumbo baby seats were originally recalled in October 2007. The CPSC and Bumbo had received 28 reports of young children falling out of the seat, including 3 skull fractures. The injuries occurred when children fell out of seats that were placed on tables.
The CPSC recalled 1 million Bumbo baby seats in 2007. In 2008, new Bumbo baby seats were sold with vivid warning label about the risk of using the seat on an elevated surface. The CPSC said that it was okay to use the Bumbo seat on the ground — but injuries continued to occur.
On August 15, 2012, the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) recalled all 4 million Bumbo baby seats. Even after the 2007 recall and additional warnings, the agency received at least 50 new injury reports — including 19 skull fractures — that occurred when the seat was placed on an elevated surface. Furthermore, they received 34 post-recall injury reports for seats placed on the ground — including two skull fractures.
This means that the Bumbo baby seat can be unsafe at any height, even when placed on the ground.
Skull Fractures
A skull fracture is a break in the cranial bones. Although the skull is very resilient, a severe impact can fracture the skull and may also be accompanied by traumatic brain injury. Infants are highly susceptible to skull fractures, which result from seemingly minor falls, often from low heights. Children under one year old have a higher risk of skull fracture than older children.
The biggest risk is brain injury. Not all skull fractures cause a brain injury, but if there is bleeding under the skull, the blood can form a hematoma, which is a blood clot that compresses brain tissue. If there is a brain damage, the child may suffer lifelong neurological debilitation.
Symptoms of a Skull Fracture
Skull fracture symptoms:
- Bleeding from wound, ears, nose, or around eyes
- Bruising behind ears, under eyes
- Changes in pupils (they may be different sizes or not react to light)
- Confusion
- Convulsions
- Trouble balancing
- Clear or bloody fluid draining from ears or nose
- Drowsiness
- Headache
- Loss of consciousness
- Nausea
- Irritability, restlessness
- Slurred speech
- Stiff neck
- Swelling
- Visual disturbance
- Vomiting
Unlike adults, infants can have severe intracranial injury without presenting the symptoms that are classically associated with head trauma. By the time severe symptoms do appear, the child may be in extreme danger. This is why it is important to call 911 immediately any time a skull fracture is suspected.
Do I have a Bumbo Baby Seat Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Bumbo baby seat induced injury cases in all 50 states. If your child or somebody you know has been injured by a Bumbo baby seat, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Product Liability Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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