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Fort Myers Child Injury Lawyer Fights for Families Whose Children Were Hurt by Magnets
Magnets are fascinating to children, but they are not toys. The very phenomenon that makes magnets interesting also makes them dangerous – magnets bond together. Small magnets can be swallowed by children, who put virtually everything in their mouths. Any non-edible item that is swallowed presents a choking and gastrointestinal damage risk. However, magnets have the potential to do even greater harm than other small toys that might be ingested. Families of children who have been hurt by magnets have the right to seek legal counsel, and an experienced Fort Myers child injury lawyer can help them seek the justice they deserve.
Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., has assisted Southwest Florida families with their injury and wrongful death claims against manufacturers for more than two decades. Our civil trial attorney is Florida Board certified and has earned membership in the exclusive Million Dollar Advocates Forum. We do not back down from corporations whose products injure children. If your child swallowed a magnet, we help you recover damages.
Why Magnets Are Particularly Dangerous When Swallowed
Toddlers explore the world by putting objects in their mouths. Older children also might be tempted to play around with items by sticking them in their mouths. Manufacturers should foresee that kids will engage in this natural behavior and take precautions in the design, manufacturing and marketing of small magnets.
When a child swallows a tiny object that has no sharp edges and does not get stuck in the esophagus, he may pass the object without causing harm. The magnetic force, however, between two magnets complicates this process.
If two or more magnets are swallowed, they will clamp together inside the body to form a larger object that may get caught in the child’s throat or intestinal tract. In addition, the magnets may enclose flesh as they glue together, making it impossible to pass and damaging the trapped tissue.
Surgery to Remove Magnets
Surgery may be necessary to remove magnets from the child’s stomach or intestines. Some magnets are so strong that separating them from each other may prove problematic even using sophisticated surgical tools.
Once the magnet is removed, the child may need further surgery to repair perforations to the lining of the digestive tract. The child may also require treatment for infection and resulting sepsis.
Manufacturer Liability for Magnet Injuries
Manufacturers have a duty to produce products that are safe and to warn about potential dangers. Toys marketed to children should be age appropriate. For example, the toys should not contain small magnets that can come off of the toy. Because it is foreseeable that a child is likely to access the product, magnets marketed to adults should contain warning labels and, in some cases, may be too dangerous to put on the market.
Learn More About Your Child's Rights to Recovery From a Fort Myers Child Injury Lawyer
Our Fort Myers child injury lawyer handles complex products liability claims involving minor children, including magnet ingestion injuries. To schedule your free consultation with Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. for aggressive representation against big corporations contact us today. We take cases throughout Southwest Florida, including in Fort Myers and Cape Coral, all of Lee County and Collier County, as well as Bonita Springs, Estero, Naples, Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda.