Tennessee parents should be concerned about beanbag chairs

Those in Knoxville who own or are considering the purchase of beanbag chairs may want to reconsider. One brand has been recalled after two children died while playing with the chairs.

The children, one 13-year-old from MkKinney, Texas, and the other a 3-year-old from Lexington, Kentucky, were able to open the zippers and climb inside, ultimately experiencing a shortage of air and breathing in the beads, which are made from foam. In response to the children’s deaths, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced the recall of more than 2 million beanbag chairs that were sold under the Ace Bayou brand name. The chairs were sold on Amazon online, as well as stores such as Meijer, School Specialty, WalMart and Wayfair.

Beanbag chairs are required to have zippers that prevent children from accessing the inner lining that contains the tiny beads that give the chair its flexible shape. The brand in question had a zipper for the outside cover and a zipper for the inside container, both of which were lined up and easily unzipped. In addition, beanbag chairs should have their zippers disabled although the requirements are not mandatory. Manufacturers may voluntarily comply with the requirements as guidelines for safety standards.

When a manufacturer is found responsible for inadequate safety warnings there may be compensation for any injuries that have occurred as a result. Families can be hit hard by serious injury and death of a loved one due to a dangerous product. A personal injury lawyer might be able to help victims and their families to name manufacturers in a lawsuit.

Source: Bustle, “Bean bag chairs are recalled by the millions, and the reason is horrifying”, Lulu Chang, August 24, 2014