PRODUCTS LIABILITY ATTORNEY IN CHICAGO COMMENTS ON DEATH OF CHILD BY A LIGHTER
A 4-year old boy died yesterday, October 26, 2009, from injuries he sustained while reportedly playing with a lighter on October 13, 2009. This is a tragic occurrence. It is unclear from media reports what style lighter he was using or if there was any safety function on the lighter.
The Consumer Product and Safety Commission (CPSC) approved a mandatory standard for child-resistant cigarette lighters in July of 1994. The standard applies to imported and domestically-manufactured disposable and novelty lighters. The number of children who have died as a result of playing with cigarette lighters has dropped since the mandatory standard for child-resistance came into effect. There were 230 total deaths from cigarette lighters in 1994 and 130 in 1998. Of those deaths, children under the age of five accounted for 170 of the deaths in 1994 and 40 in 1998. Of course, one death is too many. Sadly, in 2009, cigarette lighters continue to injure young children, like the recent death in Chicago and this Pennsylvania boy who died after a cigaretter lighter reportedly exploded.
