Stroller & Baby Carrier Accidents on the Rise in Texas

Michael S. Callahan | | Defective Products
baby car seat

An estimated 50 children a day are treated in emergency rooms due to stroller or baby carrier injuries – some of those in Texas.

Data collected by the National Electronic Injury Surveillance system from 1990 to 2010 has found that the incidence of traumatic brain injuries and concussions in children injured from strollers or baby carriers is on the rise. In 1990, only 1 of 5 children injured by strollers or baby carriers were diagnosed with a concussion or traumatic brain injury. However, in 2010, 42% of children in stroller accidents serious enough to warrant an emergency room visit were diagnosed with a concussion or traumatic brain injury.

Along with these statistics that were published in the New York Times, was a disclaimer of sorts:

“‘The higher rates of brain injury in recent years do not necessarily mean that strollers and baby carriers have become more dangerous, the researchers said. Instead, it may be that doctors and other health care providers have become more aware of traumatic brain injury and concussion,’ said Kristin J. Roberts, the study’s co-author and a research associate in the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

This ‘may lead health care providers to make a more conservative diagnosis when previously they would have categorized this as a less severe injury,’ Ms. Roberts said.”

Stroller Recalls

While it may be true that the rise in head traumas from stroller accidents may have increased because of more awareness on the part of medical providers, it doesn’t change the fact that little children are sustaining major head injuries because of dangerous strollers.

Just in 2016, strollers from 4 different manufacturers were recalled because of the increased chance of injury with their product. One of these recalls was because of a part disengaging which increased the chance of a child falling out and another recall was due to the fact that the wheels of the stroller may fall off and crash during use.

These types of product defects put small children at serious risk of suffering a serious injury

What You Can Do to Protect Your Child

  • If your child is in the stroller they should be buckled in.
  • Don’t hang bags on your stroller’s handles.
  • Only use strollers that are manufactured for your child’s age and size.
  • Each time you use the stroller check for damaged brakes, hinges, buckles and anything that could affect the structural integrity.
  • Purchase strollers that were manufactured after September 2015 when the new standards for the safety of strollers from the Consumer Product Safety Commission took effect.
  • Check to make sure your stroller is not on a recall list.

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If your child was seriously injured due to a defective stroller, please contact us today for a free case evaluation.