Tide Pod Poisonings and Problems Continue, Could be Prevented
The product liability lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. are represent a number of families who are pursuing Tide Pod laundry detergent poisoning lawsuits and cases against manufacturers of other single-use laundry detergent capsules, which could cause infants and young children to suffer serious and devastating injuries.
Although the manufacturers of these products have made some minimal attempts over the past year to reduce the risk of laundry detergent pod poisonings, reports continue to surface of children suffering injury after mistaking the small capsules for candy or chew toys.
If additional steps had been taken to increase the warnings and change the packaging for these products, many, if not all, of these problems could have been prevented.
A Chicago grandmother has recently started a petition on Change.org asking Proctor & Gamble to make simple changes to the packaging of Tide laundry pods, after her 15 month old grandson suffered chemical burns and internal injuries.
The petition simply suggests that Tide Pods should be individually wrapped in a way that makes them less appealing to infants and children, something the manufacturer has so far avoided doing, apparently placing their desire for profits before the safety of children who may come in contact with their brightly colored and candy-like capsules.
Unfortunately, the story of this Chicago grandmother is not unique. According to data released by the American Association of Poison Control Centers, more than 6,275 reports were received by poison centers in 2012 involving exposure to the highly concentrated packs of laundry detergent by children 5 and young. As marketing for Tide Pods and other products has continued, this year at least 7,669 kids 5 and younger have already been exposed to single-load laundry pods between January 1 and September 30, 2013.
Tide Pods are designed and promoted as a way to avoid the “mess” of dispensing laundry detergent, featuring pre-filled packs with enough laundry detergent for a single load. However, Proctor & Gamble has decided to market Tide Pods in capsules that resemble infant teething toys, with brightly colored swirls of color. The Pods are often sold in large, clear containers that resemble a large candy bowl or in plastic bags that resemble snack foods.
Due to the inadequate warnings provided by the manufacturer, many parents do not recognize the extreme risk posed by laundry detergent poisoning.
Over this year, Proctor & Gamble has made some minor changes to the warning label and packaging, but they still have not gone far enough to protect kids from this attractive nuisance.
In July, a warning label was placed on the containers and they have agreed to change the containers to make them more difficult for children to open. However, many parents of children who have suffered devastating injuries continue to ask why they need to be sold in such a way that would encourage children to mistake them for something that should be placed in the mouth.
Another petition filed on Change.org also highlights problems with the new Tide Pod warning labels, which indicated that parents should give children who ingest the laundry detergent milk. The petition argues that this is bad advice that makes children more ill, and may delay necessary emergency treatment.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a report last year highlighting the dangers laundry detergent pods pose for young children. The CDC described how many children initially suffer symptoms of spitting and vomiting, which may quickly progress to more severe symptoms, such as profuse vomiting, mental status changes, respiratory distress and seizures.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has warned parents to make sure the products are kept far out of reach of children and to immediately contact Poison Help at (800) 222-1222 if a child swallows or chews on a laundry packet or suffers eye exposure.
Tide Pod Laundry Detergent Poisoning Lawyers
The Tide Pod lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. provide free consultations and claim evaluations for families throughout the United States who have experienced problems from laundry detergent pods. Financial compensation may be available for children who have experienced health problems from exposure to Tide Pods or other similar products.
All cases are reviewed by our law firm on a contingency fee basis, which means that there are never any out-of-pocket expenses to hire a lawyer and we receive no attorneys fees or expenses unless a recovery is obtained.
2 Comments • Add Your Comments
Candice says:
My son is four years old his name is max I recently had an accident with a tidepod bursting in his eye I proceeded to take him to the emergency room an the dr told me there was to many chemicals in his eyes it was swallow and unbearable pain for a four year old to have to go threw I have pictures all the tide pods in the easy open bag for a four year old was already busted from keepin them in the bathroom from the heat in the air when he grabbed it he didn’t even have to squize befor it bursted open in his face my four year old was umbra resend for days didn’t want to leave the house and keep tellin me not to look at him because he’s ugly and all do respect I think tide should have to pay for medical and embarrament do you know what it’s like to take a four year Ol to walmart his favorite place to get a toy for being so strong and he just don’t even want to be there because he feels ugly it’s not right for someone that young to feel ugly because a unsafe product in my option if there this many cases of children gettin harmed from it shouldn’t they atop using bag that anyone can open or take the product of the shelf completely
Posted on November 17, 2014 at 1:58 pm
BOBBY says:
my girlfriend use the tide pods, our laundry machine requires them, but we both have broke out with itchy rashes, we seem to itch a lot on our entire body, especially when we sweat, she went to a doctor and they said it was a allergic reaction to something, since i have the same problem we believe it can only be the pods, we are going to check to see if the chemicals has gotten into our blood stream and if it is consistance with that of the tide pods
Posted on January 15, 2018 at 11:49 pm