Why Child Product Safety Matters in Chapel Hill and How Langino Law PLLC Can Help if A Defective Product Causes an Injury
By Adam J. Langino, Esq.
Why Child Product Safety Matters in Chapel Hill and How Langino Law PLLC Can Help if A Defective Product Causes an Injury
Chapel Hill is a family-focused community – over half of local families have children at home. The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools district alone serves about 11,500 students across 21 schools1, highlighting how many young ones live, learn, and play here. With so many children in our town, safety in the home is paramount. Parents rely on cribs, strollers, toys, and other kid-specific products every day. When those products are defectively designed or manufactured, the consequences can be devastating.
What Law Says About Defective Children’s Products
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) sets strict standards for children’s products to protect kids from injury. For example, it’s illegal to sell any product that has been recalled for safety reasons. Sellers must also ensure items meet key safety requirements before they ever reach a child’s hands. For “children’s products” (designed for ages 12 and under), U.S. law requires compliance with:
Choking Hazard Safeguards: Any toy or item for kids under 3 must not contain small parts that a toddler could swallow. (If a part fits entirely into a test cylinder the size of a young child’s throat, it’s considered a dangerous small part.) Products for ages 3–6 can only have small parts if they carry a prominent choking warning label. These rules save lives – in one recent 4-year span, 12 U.S. infants and toddlers choked to death on small toy pieces, balls, or balloons. The small-parts ban exists to prevent such tragedies. You can learn more about Choking Hazards in a recent article written by Adam Langino.
Toxic Substance Limits: Lead paint and lead content are strictly limited in anything meant for children. Paint on kids’ toys or furniture cannot exceed 90 parts per million of lead, and the product’s overall materials cannot contain more than 100 ppm of lead. Exceeding these limits can cause irreversible brain damage and developmental disorders in children. Similarly, certain soft plastic toys and baby goods must be free of dangerous phthalate chemicals (used to soften vinyl) above 0.1%, because phthalates can harm childhood development. In practical terms, this means toys like teething rings, bath books, or rubber ducks must be made of phthalate-free plastics – or they don’t belong on the market.
Safety Labels & Tracking: Permanent tracking labels are required on children’s products so that any future recalls can quickly pinpoint affected batches. Warning labels are also mandated on certain items (for example, infant swing seats must bear clear fall hazard warnings). These measures help parents identify safe products and facilitate swift recalls if hazards emerge.
In addition to general rules, many nursery products have their own specific safety standards due to past injuries. The CPSC classifies items like cribs, strollers, high chairs, infant carriers, playpens, and similar gear as “durable infant or toddler products.” These are subject to rigorous testing and regulations (e.g. stability tests, restraint strength, absence of sharp edges) because babies are uniquely vulnerable. As a result, older or poorly maintained baby equipment can be especially dangerous. The CPSC emphasizes that if a nursery product is broken, wobbly, missing parts, or otherwise unsafe, it should never be sold or passed down. In fact, their advice is “When in doubt, throw it out!” – a baby’s life could depend on it.
Common Hazards and Notorious Recalls: What to Watch For
Even with tough regulations, defective children’s products still slip into the marketplace, sometimes with horrific outcomes. Here are a few real examples of hazards that have prompted recalls and bans, underscoring why companies have to remain vigilant not to sell these products to parents:
Old Drop-Side Cribs – Entrapment and Suffocation: If you have a hand-me-down crib from before 2011, beware. Most cribs made before June 28, 2011 do not meet current safety standards and were involved in major recalls. These older models often had drop-down sides that could malfunction or create gaps. Infants were tragically caught and suffocated in those gaps, leading to a nationwide ban. Today’s standard is absolutely no drop-side cribs on the market – they must be destroyed, as even immobilization kits can’t fully guarantee safety. Modern cribs have fixed sides and stringent spacing and hardware requirements to prevent head entrapment or collapse. If a family in Chapel Hill still has an old crib in use, it’s critical to stop using it and replace it with a compliant model to keep their baby safe.
Infant Walkers – Fall Down Stairs: Not long ago, baby walkers (the rolling seats that allow babies to scoot around) were associated with thousands of injuries, especially falls down stairs. Current law mandates anti-fall features: walkers must either be too wide to fit through a standard doorway or have automatic gripping mechanisms that stop at a step edge. A walker lacking these features is considered defective. Many such walkers have been recalled after babies rolled down basement stairs or steps, causing head injuries. If an older walker doesn’t have rubber brake pads or a wide base, it’s not safe.
High-Powered Magnet Toys – Internal Injuries: One of the most frightening hazards involves tiny powerful magnets in toys or desk gadgets. If a child (or even a teenager) swallows more than one, the magnets can attract inside the body and rip through intestines. The CPSC recorded thousands of magnet ingestion incidents from 2009–2018 and at least 4 child deaths from this issue. In response, many magnet building sets and children’s magnet toys were recalled or redesigned. Hazardous magnet sets are now illegal to sell – if magnets are small enough to swallow and extremely strong, the product must have special warnings or be kept out of children’s reach entirely. Parents should be extremely cautious of any toy with small magnets (e.g. magnetic building blocks, jewelry kits) and keep them away from kids under 14 unless the product is confirmed to meet the latest safety standard.
Lead-Tainted Toys – Poisoning Risk: Lead paint isn’t just a problem of the distant past. In the late 2000s, there were high-profile recalls of imported toys (including popular holiday dolls and toy cars) found with leaded paint well above legal limits. Children who mouthed or handled those toys were at risk of absorbing lead. The law now requires third-party lab testing to certify toys are under the 90 ppm paint limit. Still, occasional recalls occur – for instance, a toddler xylophone or children’s costume jewelry might get pulled from shelves after testing reveals excessive lead. The danger is serious: lead exposure in a young child can cause lifelong brain damage and learning disabilities. That’s why Langino Law works hard to hold manufacturers accountable if a toxic product harms a child – there is simply no excuse for a company to let a lead-laced kids’ item reach the market today.
Recalled Nursery Products – Various Hazards: Cribs, strollers, car seats, carriers, high chairs, and play yards are regularly recalled for defects that could cause falls, strangulation, or pinching. For example, an inclined infant sleeper that violates the safe 10° incline limit or a faulty high chair whose legs can collapse will trigger a CPSC recall. It’s illegal for anyone to sell these recalled models (even second-hand) until they are fixed. If your child was hurt because a store or online seller provided a recalled product, you have rights – the law is clear that such sales are unlawful.
Bottom line: Products intended for babies and children must be built and maintained to a higher safety standard, yet we continue to see common hazard patterns in recalls. Knowing this, our firm is relentless about staying up-to-date on safety regulations and recall histories for all types of children’s products. This detailed knowledge is a powerful tool when advocating for an injured child and their family.
Why Langino Law is the Right Advocate for Your Family
Suffering an injury to your child because of a defective or recalled product is every parent’s nightmare. On top of the heartache and medical bills, families often discover that large manufacturers or retailers are quick to deny responsibility and armed with legal teams to protect their profits. As Langino Law emphasizes, powerful corporations often use their wealth and influence to avoid accountability, leaving “families heartbroken and futures shattered”. Our mission is to level the playing field for Chapel Hill families.
Here’s what makes Langino Law uniquely equipped to help if your family has been affected by an unsafe product:
Experience in Product Safety and Liability: We have deep knowledge of the consumer product safety regulations and standards discussed above. Attorney Adam Langino has been recognized as a leading lawyer in Consumer Protection Law in North Carolina. We understand the technical details – from how a crib should be manufactured, to what tests a toy should pass – and we know how to prove that a company failed to meet its legal obligations. This experience is critical in building a strong case that a defective product caused your child’s injury due to the company’s negligence or violation of safety laws.
Local Presence, Local Care: Our firm is based right here in Chapel Hill. We’re not a distant TV law firm; we are part of this community. We know the local schools, the neighborhoods, and the values of families here. When we take your case, you’ll meet with us face-to-face, and we’ll support you every step of the way. Being local also means we’re familiar with North Carolina’s specific laws (for example, NC product liability statutes and consumer protection laws) and the local court system. We’ve successfully represented clients in Chapel Hill and across North Carolina, so you can trust that we know how to get accountability under North Carolina law.
Commitment to Child Safety: Protecting children is not just our profession – it’s our passion. We stay informed on the latest CPSC recalls and even the small details (like the warning labels that should be on a baby product) because we truly care about preventing injuries. By pursuing legal action against companies that put unsafe products on store shelves, we aim to not only help one family recover but also push for safer standards industry-wide. Every case we win sends a message: our community will not tolerate endangering children. This commitment is one reason many parents and caregivers turn to Langino Law after incidents – they know we “get it” when it comes to the importance of child safety.
Proven Results and Tenacity: Our team has a strong track record of taking on big firms and insurance companies to secure fair compensation for our clients. We prepare every case as if it will go to trial, and our opponents know we won’t back down. Whether negotiating a settlement or arguing in court, Langino Law will work for the compensation your family deserves – to cover medical expenses, pain and suffering, and even future needs if your child requires ongoing care. Equally important, we seek accountability. Often companies only improve safety after being held liable. By shining a light on what went wrong – for instance, exposing that a manufacturer ignored a known defect or skipped proper testing – we help prevent other families from suffering the same fate.
In summary, Langino Law PLLC exists to champion families harmed by corporate negligence, especially when it involves the most precious members of our community: our children. We combine legal skill, specialized knowledge, and authentic local compassion to support you through an incredibly difficult time. Our goal is not only to win your case, but to give you peace of mind that someone is standing up for your family’s rights and for the safety of all children in Chapel Hill.
Moving Forward After a Defective Product Injury
If your child or a family member has been injured by a defective or recalled product in Chapel Hill, you don’t have to face the aftermath alone. Here are steps to consider:
Seek Medical Attention and Document Everything: Your child’s health comes first. Get the necessary medical treatment, and save all records and bills. Also, keep the product (and any pieces of it) – it’s important evidence. Note when and where you bought it, and stop using it immediately. Check the CPSC recall database as well; if the item shows up there, save that information.
Report the Incident: You can report the product to the CPSC at SaferProducts.gov, which can trigger an investigation or recall if one hasn’t happened yet. This not only helps your case but can protect others. Many families in product injury cases feel a drive to make sure no one else goes through what they did, and reporting is a key step.
Consult Langino Law Early: The sooner you involve our legal team, the better we can assist you. Evidence can fade and companies may move quickly to limit their liability. We offer free consultations to evaluate your situation and explain your options. There’s no obligation – just information. We can advise you on preserving evidence, dealing with insurance adjusters, and how North Carolina laws like the statute of limitations apply to your claim.
At Langino Law, we operate on a contingency fee basis for product injury cases, which means you pay nothing upfront. Our fees are a percentage of the recovery, and if we don’t win compensation for you, you owe us nothing. We do this because we believe strongly that financial barriers should never stop a family from getting top-notch legal representation, especially in cases involving children’s safety. If you'd like to learn more about contingency fees, you can read a recent article written by Adam Langino.
The Langino Law Difference
Too often, when a child is hurt by a dangerous product, parents are overwhelmed and unsure where to turn. At Langino Law, our approach combines legal knowledge with empathy. We will listen to your story, answer your questions, and handle the legal complexities so you can focus on your child’s recovery. Meanwhile, we’ll be building a compelling case by leveraging experts (such as engineers or safety consultants) and using the product’s design files, testing records, and recall history to prove exactly how it failed and who should be held responsible.
Our experience has shown that when faced with a well-prepared case, manufacturers and their insurers often prefer to settle – and we have secured substantial settlements that help families move forward. However, if they refuse to offer a fair settlement, we are fully prepared to go to trial. Adam Langino is a seasoned trial lawyer with over 20 jury trials in his career and a respected reputation in the courtroom. In short, we won’t be intimidated, no matter how big the company on the other side.
Most importantly, we approach every case with the understanding that this is personal for you. It’s personal for us too – we are advocating for our neighbors and for the principle that children’s lives are more valuable than a corporation’s bottom line. That passion fuels our work every day.
About Langino Law PLLC
Langino Law PLLC is a personal injury law firm in North Carolina, based out of Chapel Hill, dedicated to helping individuals and families recover after catastrophic injuries and wrongful deaths. Founded by nationally recognized trial attorney Adam Langino, our firm brings over a decade of courtroom experience and a proven track record of multimillion-dollar settlements. Please remember that each case is unique and has specific facts and circumstances. These past results are not a guarantee of future outcomes in any case.
We proudly serve clients throughout Chapel Hill, NC, and across North Carolina, handling complex cases involving negligent security, serious car accidents, dangerous consumer products, truck accidents, and corporate accountability. At Langino Law, we combine local insight to deliver personalized legal strategies that protect your rights and force accountability on those that caused harm.
If you’re searching for a trusted North Carolina personal injury lawyer, based out of Chapel Hill, Langino Law PLLC is here to help. You contact Langino Law PLLC for a free, no pressure consultation, by calling 888-254-3521 or by clicking here.
Keeping Chapel Hill’s Children Safe – Today and Tomorrow
In a perfect world, no family would ever need a product liability lawyer because no dangerous children’s products would ever make it to market. While we’re not there yet, progress is made each time a negligent company is held accountable. Langino Law is proud to be a driving force for that progress, pushing for safer products through each case we handle.
If you have concerns about a product your family is using – perhaps you’ve heard about a recall or you feel something is just not right with a toy or baby device – trust your instincts. You can find recall information on the CPSC website and even request a free case review with us to discuss your concerns. We’d much rather answer questions early than see a child hurt later.
And if the unthinkable has already happened – if someone in your family was injured by a defective or recalled product – please know that you have advocates ready to help. Langino Law will stand with you against the manufacturers, retailers, and insurance companies that should have prevented this harm. Our combination of legal skill, knowledge of consumer safety standards, and heartfelt dedication makes us the best option for families in Chapel Hill facing these challenging situations.
Your family’s well-being is our priority. We’re here to pursue accountability, demand safer practices, and secure the resources you need to heal and hold those at fault accountable. In doing so, we help make Chapel Hill and all of North Carolina safer for our children – which is a victory that benefits us all.
You can contact Langino Law PLLC by clicking here.
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission – Resellers Guide to Selling Safer Products (Feb 2025), detailing legal requirements and hazards for children’s products.
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools data – number of schools and student enrollment2; Chapel Hill family demographics.
Langino Law website – firm’s mission statement about holding corporations accountab