Attorneys for the parents say they have collected a dossier of such cases for their suit against Maclaren Europe Ltd., the British manufacturer of the baby buggies.
The suit comes on top of a recall of 1 million of the strollers by Maclaren after reports surfaced that 12 U.S. children lost parts of their fingers. The recall involved distributing a cover to fit over the strollers’ hinges.
Despite Maclaren’s claims that there is no issue with their products in the UK, lawyers have spoken to numerous parents now whose children have suffered a lifetime injury from using something that is specifically designed to be used for small children.
Richard Langton, partner with law firm Russell, Jones and Walker said,
“Infants whose fingers are at risk of being fractured, crushed, or amputated in the UK deserve the same protection as those in America. Why are new buggies not being sold now with the same protective hinge covers and warning labels which are being provided in America? How many more children must suffer amputations before the UK authorities act?”
Last month Maclaren agreed to issue special “safety kits” for British parents concerned about its pushchairs, in a U-turn forced by consumer groups, after previously insisting such action was not necessary in the UK.
The company says on its Web site:
“We would like to reassure all Maclaren users that their buggy is not only perfectly safe to use, but meets and often exceeds EU, U.S. and Australian product safety and quality standards. Should they follow our safety instructions while folding or unfolding their stroller, the risk of accidents is nil.”
Like the UK parents, I don’t understand how the recall doesn’t apply to parents in other parts of the world if the strollers are all the same.
