December is National Safe Toy and Gift Awareness Month, and every year Prevent Blindness America works hard to let people know that kids – from teenagers to infants – can be hurt by toys which are sold for profit regardless of how dangerous they may be. In 2010, for example, the Consumer Product Safety Commission tallied 251,000+ injuries from toys that were severe enough that children were brought into emergency rooms across the country.
All because the child was playing with a toy that the parent relied upon to be safe. Products are sold for profit and as products liability lawyers, our law firm knows all sorts of examples where people are injured or killed by dangerous products but few things make us more upset that to learn about a TOY that has been sold for profit which ends up hurting a child.
Which brings us to the WATCH List.
Watchdog group World Against Toys Causing Harm (WATCH) publishes an annual list in December that identifies what is believed to be the Top 10 Most Dangerous Toys being sold this holiday season. A non-profit organization founded by a fellow champion for injury victims, this organization surveys and identifies toys that are being sold in popular places which are worrisome in their potential for harm. Here are the toys that have made the WATCH list this year (for more details, including photos of these toys, go here):
TOP 10 WORST TOYS IN 2012
BONGO BALL
Price: $49.99
Manufacturer or Distributor: Toys R Us, Inc.
Retailer(s): Toys R Us
DART ZONE QUICK FIRE 12 DART GUN
Price: $19.32
Manufacturer or Distributor: Prime Time Toys Ltd.
Retailer(s): Amazon.com; Sears.com
SPINNER SHARK 4-WHEEL KNEEBOARD
Price: $59.97
Manufacturer or Distributor: FuzionNextsport
Retailer(s): Walmart; Amazon.com
EXPLORE and LEARN HELICOPTER
Price: $15.99
Manufacturer or Distributor: V Tech
Retailer(s): Target; Walmart.com; ToysRUs.com; Kohls.com; Sears.com; Kmart.com; Amazon.com
N-FORCE VENDETTA DOUBLE SWORD
Price: $19.99
Manufacturer or Distributor: Hasbro
Retailer(s): Target; ToysRUs.com; Walmart.com
WATER BALLOON LAUNCHER
Price: $21.99
Manufacturer or Distributor: Water Sports, LLC
Retailer(s): Amazon.com
POWER RANGERS SUPER SAMURAI SHOGUN HELMET
Price: $29.99
Manufacturer or Distributor: Bandai
Retailer(s): Target; Kmart.com; Amazon.com
PLAYFUL XYLOPHONE
Price: $29.99
Manufacturer or Distributor: P’Kolino
Retailer(s): Magic Beans
THE AVENGERS GAMMA GREEN SMASH FISTS
Price: $16.99
Manufacturer or Distributor: Hasbro
Retailer(s): Target; Kohls.com; Amazon.com
