December 13, 2010 – Following communications with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Dollar Stores Inc. has initiated a voluntary safety recall of Auto Fire toy darts with dart gun sets because of a choking hazard. The importer of the guns, Henry Gordy International Inc., has refused to take part in the recall. The plastic toy darts in the dart gun set could be accidentally inhaled by a child. The dart could then become lodged in the child’s throat, blocking the airway and potentially causing brain damage or death from asphyxiation. “You cannot get [the dart] out of the child, it’s a perfect fit, it’s like a stopper,” said Inez Tenenbaum, Chairman of the CPSC. “And it just lodges in there and blocks off the air and the child suffocates.” Two deaths caused by choking on the recalled darts have been reported. The first was a 9-year-old boy from Chicago, Illinois. The other was a 10-year-old boy from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The affected toys are “Auto Fire” dart guns. “Gordy Toy” and “Ages 8+” are printed on the packaging.
The toys were sold in sets that contained the following items:
- A yellow/orange plastic gun (item number: P238) or a blue/yellow plastic gun (item number: 9328);
- A toy dartboard (5 inches in diameter); and
- Eight orange, 1 inch by ½ inch darts with a small suction cup on the end.
About 1.8 million dart gun sets are affected by this recall. The affected dart gun sets were sold at Family Dollar stores nationwide between September 2005 and June 2009. Consumers are advised to discard the dart gun sets or return them to any Family Dollar location for a full refund.
Contacting a New York Product Liability Lawyer
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