Top Product Recalls
A product recall is the process of alerting consumers of an unsafe/defective product and ensuring that those distributed products in the market are taken back. Generally, a product recall occurs because an item creates a public safety and health hazard. Product recalls are more common than one might think and they are usually quite costly for a company. Listed below are some of the top product recalls from recent years:
Lead-Contaminated Toys
Lead is banned in the United States because of its various health risks. In 2007, a renowned toy manufacturer Mattel had to recall more than 400k toys portraying characters from the film “Cars” because they were covered in lead paint. Apart from this, the manufacturer issued another recall for approximately 9 million magnetized toys because the magnets in them posed a choking hazard for young kids.
Macaroni and Cheese and Oscar Mayer Turkey Bacon
Kraft Foods Group, Inc. was forced to recall about 6.4 million packages of their popular mac and cheese in 2015 when they realized that the food contained scraps of metal. Later that same year, the company recalled about 2 million pounds of Oscar Mayer turkey bacon as it was making consumers sick.
Takata Airbags
The flaw in Takata airbags forced auto manufacturers around the world to pull millions of their cars from the market in 2015. Takata itself recalled about 41.6 million units and since many auto manufacturers had used these airbags in their vehicles, they had to recall them. Honda issued a recall for 4.5 million vehicles and Toyota recalled 4.94 million Nissan and Toyota cars.
Aqua Dots
Aqua Dots were very popular beads in 2007, until it was discovered that they were coated with a chemical that would metabolize into gamma-hydroxybutyrate when ingested. The chemical was commonly referred to as date rape. Kids who swallowed the beads experienced symptoms such as loss of consciousness, vomiting, nausea, and even went into a comatose state in extreme cases. Because of this hazard, the manufacturer was forced to recall Aqua Dots.
Product recalls due to health and safety hazard are unfortunately very common. When product manufacturers put consumers at risk, they must take the necessary steps to correct the problem, otherwise they face liability for injuries and damages caused by their products.
Hilton & Somer, LLC: Product Liability Attorneys located in Fairfax and licensed to practice in Virginia, Maryland and in the District of Columbia
If you were injured by a product that you think should be recalled, contact the personal injury attorneys at Hilton & Somer, LLC to see how we can help you. Call us now for a free consultation (703) 560-0700.
References
https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/business/worldbusiness/15imports.html
