Fidget spinners with battery-powered Bluetooth speakers have been linked to several reports of fires and explosions. There are also reports of children who choked on fidget spinners and needed surgery.
What You Can Do & How We Can Help
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting fidget spinner induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by a fidget spinner fire, explosion, or choking, 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.
Fidget Spinners Linked to Choking, Fire Hazards
Safety officials are updating warnings for fidget spinners because they may pose a choking hazard and the battery-powered spinners can potentially catch on fire. Click here to read more.
Fidget spinners and children:
- Keep fidget spinners away from children under 3 years of age.
- The plastic and metal spinners have small pieces (including batteries) that can be a choking hazard. Choking incidents involving children up to age 14 have been reported.
- Warn children of all ages not to put fidget spinners or small pieces in their mouths and not to play with the fidget spinner near their faces.
Battery-operated fidget spinners:
- Have working smoke alarms in your house to protect you if there is a fire.
- Be present when products with batteries are charging.
- Never charge a product with batteries overnight while you are sleeping.
- Always use the cable that came with the fidget spinner.
- If the fidget spinner did not come with a cable, make sure to use one with the correct connections for charging.
- Unplug your fidget spinner immediately once it is fully charged.
What is a Fidget Spinner?
Fidget spinners are toys that were advertised to help improve focus in kids with ADHD, anxiety, or autism. They are now the hottest toy craze of 2017, distracting millions of kids and adults worldwide.
Fidget spinners are made of plastic or metal, usually with three flat lobes that twirl around a ball-bearing axis held between the fingers.
As their popularity skyrocketed, manufacturers created high-tech fidget spinners with LED lights, built-in Bluetooth speakers that play music from a smartphone, and rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.
What is the Problem?
Fidget spinners with lithium-ion batteries must be recharged by plugging them into an electrical outlet. The problem is that the batteries can overheat, catch on fire, or violently explode — especially if the battery is a cheap model with defective parts, but also if it is over-charged, physically damaged, or gets too hot. Never leave a charging spinner unattended and only use the cord it came with.
Fidget Spinner Fires & Explosions
In June 2017, there were 2 reports of fidget spinners with Bluetooth speakers catching on fire while they were being recharged. In both cases, moms were home to put out the fire and prevent burn injuries.
One mom in Alabama said her son’s fidget spinner caught on fire after charging for only 45 minutes.
Another mom in Michigan told NBC 25 that her fidget spinner exploded after recharging for less than 30 minutes with a cord she also used for her baby monitor:
“I personally won’t buy another one because of the fear of it. … If you plug them in, just stay by and make sure it’s charged and it doesn’t catch.”
Fidget Spinner Choking Hazard
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns parents not to let young children play with fidget spinners, and tell older children not to put fidget spinners in their mouths. The toys pose a choking hazard, and some spinners may have dangerous levels of lead.
Reports of Children Who Choked on Fidget Spinners
There have been at least two reports of children who choked on fidget spinners, including a 10 year-old girl in Houston, Texas who got a round metal ball-bearing part stuck in her esophagus and needed emergency surgery. Another report involves a 5 year-old boy in Oregon who swallowed part of a fidget spinner, started choking, and had to be rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery to remove the toy from his throat.
Do I have a Fidget Spinner Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting fidget spinner induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by a fidget spinner fire, explosion, or choking, 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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