Orbeez Lawsuit

Orbeez water beads are candy-colored toy balls that can expand in the body if they are swallowed, causing a life-threatening intestinal obstruction or death.

What You Can Do & How We Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Orbeez induced injury cases in all 50 states. If your child was injured or died after swallowing Orbeez water beads, 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.

UPDATE: Amazon, Target, Walmart Stop Selling Deadly Water Beads

In December 2023, Amazon, Target, Walmart and other major retailers said they would stop selling Orbeez and other water bead toys because they can be deadly if swallowed.

What Are Orbeez?

Orbeez are the original water beads, a toy developed from tiny balls made of a super water-absorbent polymer that can expand over 1,000X their original size in water — or inside the body.

What is the Problem?

Orbeez water beads are rainbow-colored, squishy, fun to play with, easy to lose, and tempting for children to swallow. Water beads look just like candy to a child, but swallowing just one Orbeez can cause death.

What is the Risk?

Orbeez water beads are undigestable. If swallowed, they can absorb the body’s fluids and get stuck in the intestines. Children have put water beads in their ears, nose, or breathed them into their lungs, causing other severe injuries when the bead expanded. Children can also choke to death if they swallow a hydrated Orbeez water bead.

Thousands of Children Injured by Water Beads

Many children who swallowed water beads have needed emergency surgery or died. There were 7,800 emergency room visits between 2016 and 2022 for children who swallowed water beads, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Lawsuit Filed After Baby Girl Dies From Swallowing Water Beads

One 10-month-old girl died after swallowing a water bead in an activity kit from Target that was later recalled. Her mother found the baby girl lifeless in her crib in July 2023. Since then, the family has filed a lawsuit and is calling for water bead toys to be banned nationwide.

Water Beads Are Not Safe For Kids

A bag of Orbeez may contain 75,000 tiny balls in a rainbow of colors. These small, squishy, candy-colored toys are advertised for children to use as sensory toys, arts and crafts, and learning tools. The website claims they are “safe for kids,” but in reality, they are not.

Orbeez Are Easy to Lose, Deadly if Swallowed

Orbeez and other water beads are tiny. They scatter easily and roll away, making them nearly impossible for parents to contain and keep away from young children. Older children can also bring them home from school or a friend’s house, not knowing that they are dangerous.

How Big Are Water Beads?

Before they absorb water, each Orbeez water bead is only as big as an ice cream sprinkle, but it can grow to about the size of a marble, which is large enough to block the intestines of a young child. Other “jumbo-size” water beads start out as marble-sized toys, but grow to the size of an egg or larger, which can easily block the intestines.

Signs & Symptoms Your Child Swallowed Orbeez

Some of the signs your child may have swallowed Orbeez water beads include:

• Not wanting to eat
• Stomach pain
• Abdominal bloating or swelling
• Child is not pooping
• Unusual sleepiness or lack of energy
• Drooling
• Vomiting
• Wheezing
• Complaining that something is stuck in their throat or chest
• And mroe

What Should I Do If My Child Swallows Orbeez?

Parents who see or suspect that a child swallowed Orbeez or other types of water beads should call poison control immediately at 800-222-1222 and take their child to the emergency room.

What is the Risk?

Swallowing just one Orbeez water bead can block the intestines. This is a life-threatening emergency. The only treatment is immediate surgery to remove the Orbeez, but because Orbeez do not show up on an X-ray, a proper diagnosis and a life-saving surgery may be delayed until it is too late.

Orbeez Class Action Lawsuit Filed in California

In October 2023, Spin Master Inc. was hit with a federal class action lawsuit by parents who say that Orbeez warning labels are inadequate because they do not describe the risk of severe injuries or death.

Orbeez packages do warn parents about a “choking risk,” but fail to include the risk of intestinal obstruction if Orbeez water beads are swallowed, or the fact that they will not show up on an X-ray.

Spin Master is also accused of false advertising, fraudulent conduct, and misleading parents by claiming that Orbeez are safe for children.

Can I Join a Class Action Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is filing individual lawsuits for children who were injured by Orbeez water beads. You may qualify to file a lawsuit and seek financial compensation if your child was injured by:

• Intestinal obstruction or blockage
• Choking
• Toxic chemicals
• Severe nausea and vomiting
• Emergency surgery
• Sepsis
• Organ damage
• Hospitalization
• Death

Do I have an Orbeez Lawsuit?

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Orbeez induced injury cases in all 50 states. If your child was injured or died after swallowing Orbeez water beads, 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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