It has been a tough few months for baby product manufacturer Graco. With all of the recalls of products because of potential injuries it’s almost making them look like they hate babies. Of course, that’s not true, they love babies and all of the profit associated with what has only been a growth industry.

The Simplicity Bassinet recall in September of 2009 was a large one. 900,000 units were recalled because of 6 reported injuries related to suffocation. But this was just the tip of the iceberg.

The wheels started metaphorically coming off when in January of this year 1.3 million of their Passage™, Alano™ and Spree™ Strollers were recalled for an amputation hazard. That was result of 7 reported incidents where children were either seriously injured or lost limbs.

Both of these recalls are small dangers compared to yesterday’s recall of Graco’s Harmony Highchair.

Graco Harmony Highchair Hazard

Yesterday Graco announced a 1.2 million unit recall of their popular Harmony Highchair. As they explain the problem:

“The screws holding the front legs of the high chair can loosen and fall out and/or the plastic bracket on the rear legs can crack causing the high chair to become unstable and tip over unexpectedly. This poses a fall hazard to children.”

This is an understatement of course. 24 children have been injured by this product since its release onto the market in November of 2003. That far exceeds the number of children hurt or injured in recalls of other products with the exception of their strollers. Graco highchairs seem to be the most hazardous of all of their products from the stand point of the number of injuries reported.

A falling highchair means that, not only does the baby fall, but also 20 lbs of metal and plastic high chair go too. The uncontrolled impact can result in severe brain injuries, broken bones, and paralyzing spinal cord injuries.

If you own a Harmony Highchair the model numbers that are being recalled are: 3920BAN, 3920BAN2, 3920BEB, 3920BEBB, 3920COV, 3920DOH, 3920GEI, 3920GEIDSP, 3920GRN, 3920HMP, 3920IVY, 3920LAU, 3920PKR, 3930DDH, 3930DHO, 3935CAL, 3935OXB, 3935PKR, 3935PKRDSP, 3935SPM, 3935SPMDSP, 3935THR, 3935THR2, 3935THR3, 3940BIA, 3940BIADSP, 3940CAP, 3940CLE, 3940COT, 3940DRM, 3940HML, 3940MCH, 3940NGS, 3940SAV, 3940SLT, 3940SPT, 3940STA, 3940UNN, 3951CLO, 3951CLT, 3951COT, 3951ORC, 3951WLO, 3955WSR, 3960BGN, 3960CJG, 3960CNP, 3960GGG, 3980CNR, 3E00ABB, 3E00BAT, 3E00DCF, 3E00DCFDSP, 3E00DGP, 3E00DGPDSP, 3E00GPK, 3E01BDS, 3E01BDSCA, 3E01DNY, 3E01DNY1, 3E01ELP, 3E01ELPDSP, 1752404, 1755859, 1755860, 1757259, 1757412, 1760429

Graco Recalls and DIY policy

Graco makes everything from baby soothers to car seats. They have a large research and development arm which ensures that they are constantly developing and producing new products. The downside to R&D is that the company is liable for problems that arise if the product fails. And Graco has had quite a history.

Since 2000, Graco has averaged two to three recalls per year, 32 in total. 2007 was a particularly bad year with a record six products recalled. With such an early start to the year Graco seems poised to break their record in 2010, but not for the number of children injured. That prize was taken in 2001 when their Century Stroller rolled in with 250 injury accidents.

So what does a Graco recall look like to the consumer?

Generally it means that you can call them and they will send you a new part with assembly instructions. Yes, more times than not they take a Do It Yourself (DIY) approach to their recall policy. This case is not different than with the Harmony highchair.

If you own a Harmony Highchair you are instructed to go to their website and order the repair kit. Don’t worry, the repair kit is free, the shipping is free, and it should only take 6-8 weeks to get to you. Until then you can use a stack of phonebooks or something.

When you receive this repair kit it contains 2 leg screws and a leg brace. The instructions inform you as to how to disassemble and reassemble the chair properly, just like they would have done in the factory if they had done it correctly in the first place. Aren’t home projects fun?

Defective Products and Lawsuits

These types of products have to be more rigorously tested. When a child sustains serious physical injuries, this can affect how they grow up, their ability to play sports, their activity level, and over all self esteem.

A brain injury on the other hand can be far more detrimental. It can inhibit the child’s ability to learn, speak, control their emotions, have normal human relationships, and live independently.

By cutting cost corners in the development of their products and not conducting the proper testing, Graco and companies like them can severely affect your child’s development through early childhood physical trauma. It is important that consumers show them that this is not acceptable corporate of social behavior. They learn this lesson by affecting their profit from the defective products.

If you or someone you know has a child that has been injured by a Graco product, some of the best advice you can get is to find experienced council to be able to walk you through a product liability lawsuit so that you’re compensated adequately. Call Phillips Webster for a consultation and to find out your legal options.

Learn More About:

• Manufacturer Defect Lawsuits and Liability
• The Drop-Side Crib Recall
• Defective Design