Watch Out for Back-to-School Timepieces for Kids!
As school gets underway across much of the country, cases of product liability are heating up, especially when it comes to children’s items. Some of the recent objects to come under scrutiny are kids’ novelty watches. A recall was posted in early August after several timepieces burnt the skin of a number of children. The burns were said to have resulted from faulty design elements and dry cell, watch batteries.
Dry cell batteries have been around since the 1880s and are generally safe as long as they are not ingested. Typically made with paste electrolytes, they are slow to degrade but not in this case. In this case, the faulty design caused the batteries to be exposed to outside elements, which hastened their life span. As a result, kids wearing the watches were inadvertently exposed to the chemical pastes located inside of the dry cell batteries.
Although present in small amounts, the paste has the capacity to cause serious burns. Therefore, it has to be removed from the skin right away. Naturally, removing it is not as simple as wiping it off with a washcloth. As a matter of fact, aggressively cleaning the burned area in that manner may actually make the situation worse.
Instead, it is generally better to place the wrist or other effected area under lukewarm, slow-running tap water to flush the paste away until professional, medical help arrives. If the burn doesn’t warrant professional help, keep the running water on it until all of the paste appears to have been removed. Remember, we are talking about a past here. So, it may take 20 to 30 minutes worth of cleansing before all traces of the chemical paste have been removed from the skin.
If the burn was caused by a watch or other faulty product, take pictures of the skin damage as well as the item that prompted the injury. Document the event’s details and do not throw out the children’s watch or attempt to touch it without taking steps to protect your skin from the oozing paste. Oftentimes, donning chemical-resistant gloves and placing the watch in an acid-resistant, storage container is the best course of action.
After the battery acid has been neutralized and the injured person’s condition is stable, consult with experts about how to proceed. It may be possible to bring product liability suits against the watch manufacturer or the company that made the battery in question. In some instances, it may even be appropriate to sue both as well as the store that sold the dangerous, children’s watch.
Resist the temptation to contact the company first and complain. Speak with health and legal experts, then report the incident to the company. Talking to them before the company will help ensure that the victim is on the mend and determine if there are grounds for a product liability case in the first place. If there are grounds for bringing a product liability case, depend on legal counsel for advice on the appropriate way to notify the company of the defective product.
