HOUSTON, March 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The Houston personal injury attorneys at Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P. are warning the public about the dangers of children swallowing “button” batteries commonly found in toys, gadgets, and household products.
The young child of one of the law firm’s clients nearly died after swallowing a button battery from a headlamp made by Ozark Trail, a private-label brand owned Walmart, Inc. Thankfully, surgeons were able to remove the battery from the child’s throat just in time, though he suffered esophageal burns.
“The Consumer Product Safety Commission and other organizations have been warning about the dangers of ingesting button batteries since at least 1983,” said Jonathan S. Harris, Houston Personal Injury Lawyer. “Yet, Ozark Trail failed to adequately secure the battery compartment of their Wal-Mart brand Ozark headlamp. As a result, our client’s toddler was injured and could have been killed,” he added.
The Ozark Trail headlamp had a casing that clipped together, rather than being secured with a screw lock.
Button batteries are especially dangerous for young children, since they are small and easy for a child to swallow without choking or coughing. Ingesting the batteries can cause potentially deadly esophageal burns and gastric perforation.
Every year, more than 2,800 kids are treated in emergency…
