Click To Call 24/750 Million Roman Shades and Mini-Blinds Recalled
Posted on behalf of Jeff Pitman on December 15, 2009
in Product Recalls
Updated on February 24, 2022
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, along with the window-covering industry, announced yesterday a recall of all Roman shades and roll-up blinds in homes with small children. The recall was brought about over concerns of strangulation or entanglement in the cords.
The recall calls for the repair of approximately 50 million window coverings to make them safe for kids. A reported eight children have died and 16 were nearly strangled in window-covering cords since 2001.
In 2007, attorney Rich Kalkhoff represented a Sheboygan family in a window covering strangulation case. The lawsuit alleged that manufacturers failed to warn regarding the risks of cord strangulation and were negligent in failing to take adequate measures to recall the known defective products. For more on that story, click here.
According to the CPSC website, strangulations in Roman shades can occur when a child places his/her neck between the exposed inner cord and the fabric on the backside of the blind or when a child pulls the cord out and wraps it around his/her neck. Strangulations in roll-up blinds can occur if the lifting loop slides off the side of the blind and a child’s neck becomes entangled on the free-standing loop or if a child places his/her neck between the lifting loop and the roll-up blind material.
Due to numerous recalls already, the CPSC is now considering new mandatory design standards to keep kids safe.
Consumers with either type of window-covering should contact the Window Covering Safety Council at www.windowcoverings.org or by calling (800) 506-4636 to receive a free repair kit.
The CPSC urges anyone with young children to remove any blinds or shades that have cords attached. They also advise parents not to place cribs, beds or other furniture close to windows.
PKSD is a Wisconsin personal injury law firm handling faulty product cases through out the state. Our personal injury lawyers have successfully represented injured people in almost every county. We know Wisconsin.
