Kolcraft Enterprises Inc. along with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued a defective product recall of about 1 million play yards, which federal officials say pose a fall hazard and risk of serious personal injury to young children. According to a CPSC safety alert, the play yard's side rail can fail to latch properly and when a child pushes against the rail it can unlatch unexpectedly posing a fall hazard to children. So far, Kolcraft has received 347 reports of sides of these defective play yards collapsing unexpectedly resulting in 21 injuries to young children including bumps, bruises and one concussion.

This defective product recall involves the Kolcraft Travelin' Tot play yards, as well as other similar play yards made for Carter's, Sesame Street, Jeep, Contours, Care Bear and Eric Carle brands. Some of the units also have a bassinet and a changing table. Some models have a mobile, vibrating unit or a parent organizer. The model numbers are printed on a white sticker on one of the feet of the play yards. Consumers who own one of these defective products are asked to stop using them immediately and contact Kolcraft for a free repair kit.

Apparently, some of the models of the play yards included in this product recall were also recalled in September 2007 because of a strangulation hazard posed by a changing table. That product defect resulted in the death of a 10-month-old child.

I hope Kolcraft has not dragged its feet on this particular product recall. Although most injuries reported as a result of these defective play yards have been minor except for the one concussion, fall hazards especially with young children or infants can cause serious personal injury such as brain injury that can have long-term adverse effects.

For injured victims, money from product liability lawsuits is a crutch that helps them move on with their lives. It certainly is not about going after a jackpot or raking in as much as possible. In the case of a brain-injured child, for example, money from a verdict or settlement, helps pay for lifelong care. If a defective product kills a family's sole breadwinner, money from a verdict or settlement helps compensate that family for their loss of future earnings. Product liability lawsuits are also the only way consumers can hold product manufacturers liable for dangerous and defective products that these firms put on the market. If your child has been injured or killed as a result of a defective product, please contact an experienced personal injury lawyer to find out more information about your legal rights and options.