Over 700,000 Evenflo High Chairs Recalled Due to Fall, Choking Hazard

Evenflo Co. and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission today announced the recall of over 700,000 high chairs due to defects that pose fall and choking risks for infants and toddlers. The Evenflo recall is the second large-scale high chair recall announced in the last two weeks. Today's recall includes about 643,000 Evenflo "Envision" high chairs, and another 90,000 of the company's "Majestic" model high chairs. The first danger posed by the high chairs comes from screws and fasteners that can come loose and fall out, causing the high chair's seat back to collapse or detach. This obviously presents a fall hazard for infants and toddlers, and Evenflo reports that it has received more than 60 reports of injuries -- like bumps, bruises and abrasions -- that occurred when the seat back collapsed or detached. A second danger comes from the potential choking hazard posed by the loose screws and fasteners. CPSC is advising parents and caregivers to stop using the recalled Evenflo high chairs immediately, and to contact Evenflo for a free repair kit. Last week, Fisher-Price announced the recall of its popular "3-in-1 High Chair to Booster" chairs, sold exclusively at Target, because a defect in the seat's release mechanism poses a fall hazard for infants and toddlers. Defective products that cause injury are usually governed by "product liability" legal principles, a more lenient set of rules that may make it easier for an injured person to recover damages from the manufacturer of a defective product (compared to proof-of-liability requirements in other personal injury cases like car accidents). Learn more about the law in defective product cases.

• Evenflo High Chair Recall Details: Envenflo Envision | Evenflo Majestic (CPSC.gov)
• MSNBC: Large Recall of High Chairs for Choking Hazard
• Fisher Price "3 in 1" High Chair Recall Information (FindLaw's Common Law Blog)
• Defective Products FAQ (FindLaw)
• Defective Product Cases - Legal Issues (FindLaw)
• Personal Injuries from Defective Products (provided by Christina Rivenbark)