Reports continue to emerge of Britax’s BOB jogging strollers falling apart while in use. The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission urged Americans to watch out after collecting over 200 customer-submitted reports between 2012 and 2018, detailing how the BOB stroller’s front wheel has been prone to falling off. This defect has caused many carriages to shoot forward and/or tip over, resulting in adults shattering bones and tearing ligaments, and children bashing their teeth in and getting lacerations on their face. Reports detail how one child suffered bleeding out of the ear canal, and a father accidentally flipped his scooter, landing op-top of his children.
The front wheel of the three-wheeled BOB jogging stroller is secured to a fork by a quick-release lever—similar to what you might find on a bicycle. Almost 100 adults and children were injured as a result of using the product, according to the CPSC. Staff members spent months investigating multiple incidents before making the decision in 2017 that the Britax stroller, which was one of the most popular models on the market, had to be recalled.
“The danger that was there was just so obvious,” stated Marietta Robinson, a former Democratic commissioner who worked for the CPSC at the time injury reports began to surface. “It was appalling.”
Britax did not comply with the government agency’s request for voluntary recall in 2017. Instead, the company insisted that its product was manufactured and released in accordance with industry safety standards, and was safe to use as long as buyers followed instructions. Yet despite the company’s continued statements that the product was safe, it routinely failed to disclose injury-related incidents to regulators.
Because Britax did not initially alert the agency to ongoing accidents, it took a long time for the CPSC to become aware of the BOB stroller’s safety issues. Eventually, the CPSC sued Britax to force a recall in February of 2018. While most companies choose not to engage in public legal battles with federal safety regulators, Britax made the odd choice of continuing to fight the recall.
Changes in Washington
The CPSC seemed poised to continue legal proceedings against Britax, and then everything changed. According to The Washington Post, internal documents reveal that new leadership appointed under the Trump administration did not make committee members aware of the many complaints leveled against the company.
This lack of information demonstrates an odd shift in policy, as the agency has long been a leader in protecting children against dangerous products, passing measures that placed strict limits on lead in children’s toys and barring the sale of drop-side cribs. The CPSC has also issued voluntary recalls for 18 different bicycle brands, including recalling 2 million bikes in 2018 for quick-release mechanisms similar to the one found on the BOB stroller. In 2016, they initiated a recall on the Pacific Cycle jogging stroller as well.
Even though findings compiled by the agency’s health sciences division determined that children could suffer “potentially life-threatening injuries” as a result of the BOB stroller, the CPSC settled its lawsuit against Britax this past November. While the company was ordered to launch a public safety campaign and offer replacement parts and discounts on new products to those affected, it also released a statement saying it was “pleased to announce” the sale of the BOB jogging stroller would continue. Two out of the 5 committee members voiced their dissent with this decision in a written statement, calling it “aggressively misleading” to consumers.
A Lawyer Who Fights for Consumers
When you need a legal advocate who fights for the rights of consumers, hire Clearwater defective product attorney, Bryan Caulfield. A board certified personal injury lawyer who operates on a contingency fee basis, Attorney Caulfield is there to stand up for American consumers, even when the government won’t. If you or your child has recently been injured in an incident with a Britax jogging scooter or similar product, call Bryan Caulfield today.
Dial (727) 308-6060 now to schedule a free consultation, or fill out this contact form online. Remember, if Bryan Caulfield does not win, you do not pay.