More Companies Recall Inclined Sleeper Cribs

Dorel Juvenile Group USA has become the third company to voluntarily recall inclined sleeper crib models after reports of infant fatalities in similar products. The voluntary recall through the Consumer Product Safety Commission affects about 24,000 units sold by juvenile product stores such as Target, Kmart, Ross, Marshalls, TJ Maxx.

Reason for Recall

As we have previously highlighted, inclined sleepers are unsafe for children and do not follow the guidelines for safe sleep supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics. In April, Fisher-Price recalled 4.7 million Rock ‘N Play sleepers that have been linked to 30 deaths and Kids II recalled all of its nearly 700,000 inclined rocking sleepers that have been linked to five infant fatalities. In June, Fisher-Price recalled 71,000 inclined sleeper attachments for play yards which was not linked to any infant injuries or fatalities, and was the only remaining inclined sleeper model that Fisher-Price sold. The recall from Dorel Juvenile Group USA has the same reasoning as Fisher-Price’s second recall–even though no injuries are linked to its specific product, there is a safety issue with the product category that these companies recognized and want to prevent. However, while both Fisher-Price and Kids II are now entirely withdrawn from the product category, Dorel Juvenile Group USA still sells at least two other inclined sleeper products according to Consumer Reports and there are many more manufacturers who continue to produce and sell inclined sleepers despite the dangers.

Congressional Action

Legislation has been introduced in the House by Rep. Cardenas (D-CA) and Senate by Sen. Blumenthal (D-CT) to prohibit the manufacture for sale, offer for sale, distribution in commerce, or importation into the United States of any inclined sleeper for infants. The Safe Sleep Act of 2019 was introduced on June 10th because of the Consumer Reports study which linked such inclined sleepers to infant deaths earlier this year. The act would ban any sleeping device with an incline greater than 10 degrees. The Safe Sleep Act is supported by by consumer advocacy groups, and in this joint statement, the American Academy of Pediatrics, Consumer Federation of America, Consumer Reports, and Kids In Danger all advocate for passing this legislation.

If a defective crib has caused you or a loved one harm, you owe it to yourself to get help. Contact the legal team at Regan Zambri and Long PLLC for a free consultation about your product liability case today.