July 16, 2015 — Consumer Reports has pulled laundry pods off their list of recommended detergents due to the risk of poisoning children.
Back in 2012, Consumer Reports was one of the first to tell manufacturers to change the packaging to make laundry pods less appealing to children. The biggest manufacturers soon added child-resistant lids and made the clear candy-jar packaging opaque.
Unfortunately, poisonings continue to occur regularly. Laundry pods are inherently appealing to children because they are nearly indistinguishable from candy, brightly-colored, squishy, and sweet-smelling. But unlike traditional laundry detergent, the chemicals in a pod are highly-concentrated and much more poisonous when ingested.
This year alone, poison control centers have received more than 3,700 calls about the pods. Every day, about 30 children are poisoned by the pods, according to Safe Kids Worldwide.
Consumer Reports recommended:
“We strongly urge households where children younger than 6 are ever present to skip them altogether; our new position doesn’t apply to laundry (or dishwasher) pods that contain powder, because injuries associated with them are less frequent and less severe.”
Consumer Reports also highlighted case reports from children who were injured. One case involved an 8 month-old girl who bit into a laundry pod. She started gagging, vomiting, wheezing, and had problems breathing. Her mother took her to the hospital, where she was intubated and transferred to an intensive care unit. The girl survived, but others have not been so lucky.
Do I have a Laundry Pod Poisoning Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting laundry pod induced injury cases in all 50 states. If your child was poisoned by a laundry detergent pod, 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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