Parents often buy walkers as a means of encouraging their children to walk. Unfortunately, medical experts say that these walkers do not really help children learn to walk and often put kids at risk for serious injuries. According to BabyZone.com, the muscles used to move around in a walker are not the same muscles used in walking. This means the walkers don’t have much benefit and the risk of injury makes using them risky.
Types of Injuries
Walkers with wheels put young children at risk of several types of child injuries. When a walker gets caught on a stray toy or other object, it can overturn and cause the child to fall to the floor. If the parent is lucky, the walker will turn over on a carpeted surface and prevent serious injuries. Unfortunately, these accidents can occur on tile, wood, linoleum, and other types of hard surfaces. This increases the risk of head injury and may cause fractures of the legs, arms, and skull.
If a child uses a walker near stairs that have no barrier, the walker could tumble down the stairs and cause serious injuries. In a few cases, children have gotten hurt because their fingers or toes have been caught between two pieces of their walkers. A report from the American Academy of Pediatrics even links the use of walkers to an increased number of poisoning accidents in children, as use of a walker gives a child greater access to the home environment.
Defective Walkers
If a walker is manufactured incorrectly, the risk of injury is even greater. Defective walkers can tip over easily or make it more likely that a child will suffer serious injuries. If your child suffered an injury as the result of using a defective walker, you have the right to seek compensation to cover medical expenses and other costs. The Phoenix defective products attorneys of The Breyer Law Offices P.C. can help. Call us at (602) 457-6222 to discuss your case confidentially.
