1. Death and injuries force recall: In May, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Toys “R” Us Inc. recalled some 21,000 inflatable Banzai water slides for in-ground pools after one woman died from a fractured neck and two people reported neck fractures, including a man who was paralyzed. All three injuries resulted from victims hitting their heads on a hard surface at the bottom of the slide because it had partially deflated.
2. Ford lawsuit on product liability: In March the Ford Motor Co. was sued for allegedly selling trucks for 10 years that it knew had defective fuel-tank linings while concealing this issue from consumers.
3. Salmonella lawsuit: In April, two women from Wisconsin filed suit against Moon Marine U.S.A. Corp. for sushi they say was tainted with salmonella from “Nakaochi Scrape,” frozen backmeat that is shaved from fish bones, which ended up in about 60,000 pounds of ground yellowfin tuna.
4. Dog food lawsuit: In June, several consumers filed a class-action product-liability lawsuit against Diamond Pet Foods Inc. and Costco Wholesale Corp. over dog food allegedly contaminated with salmonella, which caused both dogs and dog owners to become sick.
5. Toddler toy recall: In May, Toys “R” Us recalled some 24,000 units of the Imaginarium 5-Sided Activity Center, sold exclusively though the chain, due to a possible choking hazard related to removable wooden knobs on the toy’s xylophone keys. Units sold for about $25.
6. Blender recall: In May, Select Brands Inc. recalled some 4,069 units of its Kitchen Selectives 6-Speed Blenders, model BL-15 for a possible laceration hazard; no injuries had been reported.
7. Impact hazard: In December of 2011, Pottery Barn Kids, a division of Williams-Sonoma Inc. of San Francisco, recalled some 7,700 children’s canopy beds in the United States and Canada due to 33 reported injuries from collapsing canopies.
8. Choking hazard: In December, Build-A-Bear Workshops Inc. recalled some 284,000 Colorful Hearts Teddy Bears after discovering the bear’s plastic eyes could come loose, posing a choking hazard for young children.
9. Lead paint hazard: In December, Target Corp. recalled some 139,000 Circo 17-inch Children’s Travel Cases after discovering the surface coating on the cases contained excessive levels of lead.
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