Illinois parents want to be confident that products they buy for their children are safe. The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act was enacted by Congress to protect consumers from the effects of unsafe products. Product safety, especially for items such as toys that are used by infants and toddlers, is a very important area of concentration for consumer safety authorities.
Products meant for children are a major priority of U.S. consumer safety laws. The CPSIA provides that every product meant for consumption by children must comply with safety parameters established by the Act. The Act provides a four-pronged test used to assess the safety of products:
- All products must meet all child safety policy rules established by the government and enforced by consumer protection legislation.
- Products developed for use by children must be tested for safety in a laboratory approved by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Some exceptions may be made as provided by law.
- The product must have a certificate to provide evidence that the product meets all child safety rules.
- Where practicable, the product must have tracking information on the product and its packaging. The information must identify the manufacturer, date of manufacture, production date and location, and other information.
If a product is defective or dangerous and a child has suffered an injury as a result, the parents or legal guardians have the right to file a product liability lawsuit on the child’s behalf. A product may be dangerous due to a design defect or lack of adequate warnings. Concerned parents or guardians may want to speak with a Chicago products liability lawyer to understand their legal options.
Source: CPSC.gov, “The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA),” accessed Jan. 9, 2015