Fisher-Price Refuses to Recall Ocean Wonders Soothe and Glow Seahorse Despite Multiple Complaints of Smoking Batteries
The Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Soothe and Glow Seahorse is currently one of the most popular toys available. Fisher-Price markets the toy as the perfect companion to help babies sleep. When the stuffed animal is hugged, its belly glows and it begins playing lullabies. The company recommends the product for children between the ages of six months to four years old.
However, despite reports of the stuffed animal smoking and even one report of the toy actually catching on fire, Fisher-Price refuses to issue a recall. There are currently over two dozen complaints on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) SaferProducts website. In addition to the formal complaints to the CPSC, many online websites that sell the product have hundreds of negative reviews written by parents who purchased the toy and had similar experiences to those who have filed complaints. Parents have complained about the battery chamber heating up and smoke coming out of the coils. This appears to be a frequent occurrence when the batteries are changed, although many incidents occurred randomly, without a change of batteries.
The heat coming of the coils is so hot that it melts the inside plastic of the chamber. Many parents point out that if this happens when a child is sleeping, bedding could easily catch fire. And if the batteries are contained in a smoldering chamber without being removed, they could explode.
Besides the risk of fire, another hazard to small children is the fumes that are emitted from the melting plastic which can be toxic. Meanwhile, Fisher-Price refuses to acknowledge that these products may pose a danger to children. New Ocean Wonders Soothe and Glow Seahorses that are purchased now have a two-battery chamber instead of three-battery chamber, although the company also refuses to acknowledge that modifications were made to the design of the product. By not issuing a recall of the three-battery chamber toys and leaving them on the market, many children may still be at risk. If your child has been injured by a defective product, contact an experienced New Braunfels personal injury attorney to find out what legal action you may be able to take against the manufacturer.
