Recall of Britax Jogging Stroller Avoided Despite Nearly 100 Injuries Due to Dangerous Risk

Despite hundreds of reports involving problems with Britax jogging strollers, including serious injuries suffered by babies and caregivers after the front wheel fell off, the manufacturer was able to avoid issuing a recall as a result of actions by regulators in the Trump administration.

According to a report by The Washington Post, officials with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) failed to follow through with efforts to force a Britax jogging stroller recall, even after a known defect was linked to reports of broken bones, shattered teeth and other injuries resulting in the need for medical treatment.

Although the U.S. CPSC has historically been a leader in protecting children and implementing strong safety rules for more than 15,000 everyday products, under the Trump administration, the agency is now showing worrisome signs that the safety regulators are pulling back on actions that are designed to protect consumers.

From 2012 to 2018, CPSC officials received at least 200 consumer reports indicating the Britax jogging stroller’s front wheel quick release spontaneously detached from the stroller, causing injuries to at least 50 children and 47 adults. By February 2018, the agency determined the front wheel of the strollers could detach, and the front fork could dig into the ground and cause the stroller to stop abruptly and tip over.

By this time, the injuries had included concussions, head and face injuries requiring stitches, dental injuries, contusions and abrasions among children, broken bones, and more. Adults suffered bone fractures, torn ligaments, torn labrum, contusions and abrasions.

Despite a formal request for Britax to voluntarily recall the roughly 500,000 strollers equipped with the quick release front wheel design, the manufacturer refused and maintained the strollers were safe and met industry standards when used correctly, forcing officials to take further action.

That month,  the CPSC filed a lawsuit against Britax Child Safety, Inc., after the company refused to issue a voluntary stroller recall for jogging strollers featuring the front wheel quick release. The administrative complaint, approved by the CPSC in a 3-to-1 vote, demanded Britax to recall the strollers and repair or replace the defective quick release design at no charge to consumers, as well as notify state and local public health authorities of the problems and give a public notice of the stroller defects and injuries.

The CPSC’s administrative judgment request sought to have the strollers declared a substantial product hazard and an order requiring the strollers to be recalled and pulled from the market.

However, about half a million strollers that safety experts said should have been recalled, were ultimately allowed to go unaddressed. According to the Washington Post, this was due to a shift in management at the CPSC as Republican appointees took over from regulators appointed under the Obama administration, who were kept in the dark about the investigation.

In November 2018, the lawsuit was settled with a 3-2 commission vote ordering Britax launch a public-safety campaign and offer replacement parts or discounts on new strollers, which is far from a recall that demands free repairs and ensures safety to consumers.