The latest recall in the headlines involves Chicco car seats and your child’s safety in the car. Chicco has recalled nearly 31,000 MyFit Zip Air Harness + Booster seat models with production dates of Sept. 1, 2020 – Aug. 31, 2024, for a safety violation risk. Affected model numbers 07079561970070 and 04079561190070 are included in the recall.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported design issues were the concern, violating Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard requirements. The seat failed to properly restrain a child, which increased the risk of injury in a crash. So far, no injuries have been reported.
While Chicco is working on a solution, here’s what Illinois parents and caregivers need to know about the Chicco MyFit Zip Air car seat recall.
Chicco MyFit Zip Air Harness + Booster Car Seat
Source: Chicco
The Crash Test Reveals Defective Car Seat Design
Chicco describes their MyFit Zip Air Harness and Booster seat as “designed to grow with children from toddler through big kid with easy transition from five-point harness to vehicle seat belt.”
The NHTSA crash test results showed a serious safety flaw in the car seat design. In a specific configuration, they found the affected car seat models allowed excessive chest movement in a collision, which can increase the risk of injury.
The car-seat configuration used in crash testing included:
- Installed with a lap belt only
- Used without a top tether
- Used with forward-facing harness
- The car seat in reclined positions 3 and 4 – the most upright.
Understanding Types of Product Defects
When purchasing a car seat, your child’s safety is your number one concern, so when putting your trust in a product, you expect it to protect your family.
With defective products, like a faulty car seat, a product liability lawsuit can be your best course of action when attempting to hold a manufacturer accountable for their negligence. These lawsuits can arise from a child being injured due to a design defect, manufacturing error, or inadequate warnings.
Design Defects: These occur when a product becomes dangerous due to a design flaw. Even if the product is manufactured perfectly, the design can be flawed, making it unsafe for use.
Manufacturing Defects: These are defects that occur during the production or assembly of the product. A product may be designed correctly, but mistakes made during manufacturing can create a dangerous product that poses risks to its users.
Marketing Defects: Also known as the “failure to warn,” these defects occur when a product is marketed or sold without proper safety warnings, guidelines, or instructions. Even if a product is not defective in design or manufacturing, inadequate labeling or warnings about potential hazards can lead to injury.
No matter which category the defect falls under, they can all result in serious injury or death and could be the reason for a product liability claim or class action lawsuit.
Types of Damages Recoverable in Product Liability Cases
Serious injuries caused by a defective car are a product liability matter when it comes to personal injury law. As with any other serious injury or death, the victim can claim two types of damages: economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages compensate the victim for what their injuries have cost them financially.
All medical costs could be covered, plus other related costs, including:
- Ambulance fees
- Hospital visits
- Medications
- Doctor consultations
- Surgeries
- Rehabilitation and/or physical therapy
- Mental health counseling
- Future Medical Costs: Any anticipated expenses for long-term care needs from the injury
- Lost Wages: Income lost due to time off work to care for your injured child
Non-economic damages compensate the victim for the emotional cost of their defective product injury. These can include:
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life: Inability to ride their bikes, play sports, play with their friends, go to school, etc.
- Emotional Distress: Mental anguish suffered by the child and family due to the injury
Since the injured person is a minor, they can’t file their claim on their own. If your child has suffered serious injuries from a defective product, you should consult immediately with a knowledgeable legal professional in Central Illinois about fighting for financial compensation and the justice your child deserves.
Call Spiros Law – Trusted Product Liability Lawyers Ready to Fight for You
This recent defective car seat recall is an important reminder to Illinois families about the dangers of faulty products and the critical role that product liability laws play in protecting consumers.
Although federal regulations require manufacturers to meet specific safety standards, these protections do not guarantee every product on the market is free from defects. Design flaws and manufacturing errors are sometimes accidentally overlooked, leading to potentially life-threatening risks. Even if a company’s mistake was unintentional, it can still be held legally accountable for any harm its product causes.
Call Spiros Law today to discuss your case and learn more about your legal options. Our Central Illinois product liability lawyers will work diligently if you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury due to a defective product. You may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages.
Our personal injury law firm specializes in product liability cases and is committed to holding manufacturers accountable for defective products. We proudly serve clients throughout Illinois, with offices in Champaign, Kankakee, and Danville, offering comprehensive legal support to families and aiming to secure the justice you deserve.
