October 2009 Roman Shades and Roll Up Blinds Recall - Nearly 1 Million Additional Roman Shades and Roll Up Blinds Recalled
Read the August 26, 2009 Roman Shade Recall Information Here
In a continuing effort to protect infants and young children from strangulation hazards from window coverings, the agency is warning against the possible strangulation hazard with Roman shades. CPSC staff is aware of at least two recent deaths and multiple non-fatal incidents with Roman shades. - Consumer Product Safety Commission Publication #5115 November 2008 In fact, the Onder Law Firm represents both of these families in their claims against the responsible Roman shade manufacturers.
Click here for information on other types of window blind cord dangers
The window covering industry estimates that as many as 600 million blinds and corded window covering products are in circulation in the United States, with corded window coverings in nearly 17 million American households with children under the age of six-years-old.
Despite the prevalence of these products in American homes, few realize the extent of their danger. Documentation from the Consumer Product Safety Commission and research from the Journal of the American Medical Association suggest over 768 children died on corded window coverings since 1973. Despite two retrofit/recall programs implemented by the window covering industry, miniblinds remain dangerous and defective, their cords killing a child every two weeks. Even new blinds touted by the industry as "child safe" kill children regularly throughout the United States.
Despite the staggering death statistics associated with miniblinds and other corded window covering products, the industry has done little to correct this hidden danger. Government and industry documents suggest the window covering industry willfully chose to ignore the problem out of fear that addressing the safety issue might adversely affect legal liability, or out of fear that their products would be at a competitive disadvantage, owing to the slightly higher costs associated with producing safe cordless products. As the Consumer Product Safety Commission placed increased pressure on the window covering industry to address the staggering death toll, documents suggest the industry went forward with a recall/retrofit programs knowing their efforts would be ineffective to address the known strangulation hazards associated with miniblinds and corded window covering products.
At The Onder Law Firm, we are committed to making a difference. Window Covering industry documents reveal the financial motivation with which its members have acted in dereliction of their duties. To our firm and to the parents whom we represent, litigation against the industry is not about money. It is about making a difference, affecting a real change that blind cords be eliminated from homes, that no other family ever experience the horror of finding their child hanging from a window cord during the few minutes the parent stepped away to handle a family emergency.
If you or a loved one have lost a child owing to the cord on a miniblind or other window covering product, we ask you to call and join us in our fight to effect a real change in this industry. If not for yourself, please do so for the sake of the other children who will inevitably die if we do nothing.
If you are visiting this site because you have miniblinds and other corded window covering products in your home, please remove them. Simply raising the pull cords out of the reach of children is not a sufficient solution. We represent at least half-a-dozen families whose cords were tied up out of the reach of their child, yet the child died of strangulation on the inner cord of the product. This occurs even with inner cord stops in place. There are no safe corded window covering products. Cordless blinds and other safe alternatives are available.
If you are an attorney whose client has lost a child or whose child has been injured on a blind cord, we would appreciate the opportunity to work with you and would encourage you to join our fight to effect a change in the window covering industry.
Parents For Window Blind Safety
After losing a child, it is important to know you are not alone. Your child’s death was not a "fluke" or "freak accident" as such is often written off by this industry. It is important to know you are not alone and there are others like you, working together to effect a real change so no other parent might have to experience the terrifying loss of a child. There are others like you committed to the safety of our children and the reform of this industry.
If you would like additional information, or would like to join a support group, we encourage you to contact Parents for Window Blind Safety by clicking on the icon below.
Many of our clients have told us the support of this organization was probably the single most important factor in their maintaining hope in such a crisis situation. You are not alone, and working together, we can make a difference.