There is likely an assumption on the part of many individuals who reside in Columbus, Ohio, that when they purchase a product at a store it will work as intended and not inflict any harm when used as instructed. Unfortunately, as is illustrated by the recent recall of Snoopy Sno-Cone Machines, this is not always the case.
The nostalgic toy is being recalled due to the possibility that a brass rivet could become loose and fall off the ice-shaving cylinder. Thus far, there are reports of that very thing happening 64 times. As a result of these reports more than 100,000 of the toys have been recalled. The items involved in the recall were available for purchase for an 11 month period beginning in September 2012. Consumers purchased the machines from a variety of retailers including Toys R Us, Barnes & Noble, amazon.com and Target.
While the rivet falling off when the machine is not in use may not be a big deal, if it falls into the shaved ice while working, there is the possibility that someone who consumes the sno-cone could injure themselves either by biting down on the metal, cutting their mouth or swallowing the rivet. Thus far, no one has reported any injuries tied to the issue.
When someone is hurt due to a defective product that person may face a long period of recovery as well as many medical bills. Additionally, they may be angry. In these cases filing a product’s liability case may be a good option. In addition to potentially providing the injured person with financial damages, it also sometimes provides the injured person with a sense of closure regarding the matter.
Source: Woburn Patch, “Childhood Favorite is Recalled Because of Safety Hazard,” Les Masterson, Nov. 4, 2013