The production of children’s products is a delicate and special area that requires a high level of precision, expertise, and quality. This is to ensure maximum safety and protection for the children. An example of such products is sports equipment and sports paraphernalia. These particular products can be a safety hazard to children if they are not precisely designed or if they are of substandard quality.

Some of these products are used in equally dangerous situations, such as riding a bicycle or riding a skateboard. Using defective products can lead to serious injuries or, worse, death. In this article, we will share a few tips on how to keep your kids safe from such defective sports products.

Common Defective Sports Equipment

The safety of consumer products is regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. They have the right to recall products discovered to be defective or hazardous to the consumer. These include faulty sports equipment that has been deemed defective or reported to have caused serious injuries to a child. These pieces of sporting equipment may include:

Protecting Your Child From Defective Safety Equipment

Sports offer all-round benefits to the human body. Besides being a great form of physical exercise, they are also a source of entertainment and joy. It helps children discover their talents, become more creative, build teamwork, socialize, and generally make their playful selves happy.

However, this source of happiness for your child might also cause them harm. Accidents due to defective sports equipment can be inevitable. If your child enjoys sports, it is important to ensure they use safe products. Here are a few examples of defective sports equipment you want to keep your child safe from.

Helmets 

Helmets are designed to protect the head and mitigate head or brain injuries in case of an accident. A defective helmet can endanger your child’s life. Always check and confirm if the helmet is in good working condition each time your child is set to use it.

Football Paraphernalia 

Protective paraphernalia such as football pads, shin guards, or knee pads should be in good working condition to ensure the intended protection is achieved. Never allow your child to use any of these products if they don’t fit properly or are damaged.

Bicycles 

Riding bikes is all fun and laughter until a defective pedal, chain, or braking system sends your child hurtling down a steep terrain at breakneck speed. You don’t want to imagine the scene, so don’t let it happen. Check your child’s bike for any defective parts before they take a ride and make the necessary repairs or replacements. 

Shoes 

Sports shoes such as cleats or sneakers must be comfortable and durable if they are to protect your child’s feet from rough and rocky terrains. Similarly, they should offer proper support for intense sports activities such as running and playing football. This can help minimize the risk of swollen feet or sprained ankles due to wearing worn-out or defective shoes.

Sports Clothing 

Make sure they are of the right fit and comfort. Ideally, they should allow your child the flexibility they need while playing. Ill-fitting sports clothing is not just ugly, but it can pose a real danger to your child.

If your child is a sports enthusiast, support their passion by providing appropriate and safe sports equipment. However, if your child is injured due to defective sports equipment, you can file for a product liability claim against the negligent manufacturer and distributor (source: onmyside.com). Your attorney can help you with the process.