Wayne Hogan, President of the Terrell Hogan personal injury and wrongful death law firm, is speaking out to protect children from dangerous toys this holiday season.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, (CPSC) there were 226,100 toy-related injuries in the U.S in 2018. Hogan encourages parents to review the World Against Toys Causing Harm Inc. (WATCH) “10 Worst Toys for 2020” list to make informed decisions.
“WATCH has been doing this for years. They go through the toys that are out there on the market and look for ones that have various kinds of hazards that are really worrisome for parents,” Hogan said.
Hogan has represented families whose children sustained injury from unsafe toys.
“We had a specific example from years ago, the one that I always remember most crisply, and the child did choke - and that's why I talked about it so much - on a toy that was capable of going down the windpipe and the child died as a result. The end result of that case was that the manufacturer took even that type of product off the market,” said Hogan.
Related: Melissa's Picks For 2020 First Coast Connect Local Gift Guide
Toys branded with popular names such as Marvel Universe or Disney are not necessarily safe as the companies sell usage rights for the name. These toys are often made overseas with fewer regulations.
“The companies that produce these films are happy to get paid for somebody to use their name, but they don’t have any control over what is being done with [it]. And so you run the risk,” Hogan explains.
Online shopping presents an added risk it is hard to inspect packaging for ingredients and safety warnings.
“Here we are in a pandemic and people are shopping online more than ever. But online, you can’t really read the packaging. You can’t inspect the toy. You don’t know where it’s made, what kind of paint is on the toy. All of these kinds of design and warning problems come along with [buying] things online,” said Hogan.
If parents encounter a toy on the list that their child already owns, he recommends returning it to the store and contacting the CPSC. He cautions parents not to donate unsafe items or put them in a yard sale.
WATCH says that toys purchased in person or made in the U.S.A. are not automatically safe. They complied a secondary list of warnings and maintain an updated list of recalled toys to ensure your children are safe this holiday season.
WATCH's 10 Worst Toys Of 2020 List
1.) Calico Critters Nursery Friends. Potential choking hazards.
2.) Missile Launcher. Potential for eye and facial injuries.
3.) Marvel Avengers Vibranium Power FX Claw. Potential for eye and facial injuries.
4.) Gloria Owl. Potential for ingestion.
5.) WWE Jumbo Superstar Fists. Potential for blunt force and impact injuries.
6.) Sci-Fi Slime. Potential for chemical-related injuries.
7.) Boomerang Interactive Stunt UFO. Potential for propellor-related injury.
8.) Boom City Racers. Potential for eye and facial injuries.
9.) My Sweet Love Lots of Love Babies Minis. Potential choking hazard.
10.) Star Wars Mandalorian Darksaber. Potential for blunt force and eye injuries.
The full interview with Hogan can be heard on Tuesday's First Coast Connect with Melissa Ross, which also encores at 8 p.m. on WJCT News 89.9.
Katherine Hobbs can be reached at newsteam@wjct.org or on Twitter at @KatherineGHobbs.
