Inflatable Pool Slides Recalled After Death, Paralysis
Severe injuries, including a man's paralysis and a woman's death, have prompted a recall of about 21,000 inflatable water slides nationwide.
"Banzai Splash" slides, made in China by Manley Toys Ltd., "can deflate, allowing the user to hit the ground underneath the slide and become injured," the Consumer Products Safety Commission said in announcing the recall Thursday.
The slides are meant to be used with in-ground swimming pools, which are typically made of concrete, Reuters reports.
Partially deflated Banzai Splash slides are being blamed for at least two severe injuries, along with the death of a 29-year-old Colorado woman who died after fracturing her neck at the bottom of a deflated slide.
Another woman, from Pennsylvania, also fractured her neck in a Banzai Splash accident, but survived, according to the CPSC's recall alert. And a Missouri man became a quadriplegic after a severe injury on the slide.
The Banzai Splash inflatable water slide recall affects all slides sold at Walmart and Toys "R" Us between January 2005 and June 2009. Owners of recalled slides can return them to those stores for a full refund.
Anyone injured on a recalled inflatable water slide may also consider a product liability lawsuit alleging a defective product. The CPSC's recall alert suggests one type of defect -- a marketing defect, because the slides carry "inadequate warnings and instructions."
The slide maker could possibly also be held liable for a manufacturing defect, if the recalled slides didn't conform to specifications. A design defect is also possible, if there was a flaw in the product's design that made it unreasonably dangerous. A product liability lawyer can help victims figure out which causes of action to pursue.
In addition to the risk of injury from deflation, the Banzai Splash slides can also easily topple in both still and windy conditions, the CPSC's recall announcement says. Consumers can call Walmart (800-925-6278) or Toys "R" Us (800-869-7787) for more information about the inflatable water slide recall and refund.
Related Resources:
- Mother's death prompts recall of inflatable in-ground pool water slides (The Associated Press)
- Proving Fault in a Product Liability Case (FindLaw)
- Can I Sue After a Recall? (FindLaw's Injured)
- Calif. Man Sues BMW Over 2-Year Erection (FindLaw's Injured)