Button Battery Injury Lawsuit
Was your child seriously injured after swallowing a “button battery,” the shiny, coin-sized lithium batteries found in TV remote controls, children’s toys, cameras and numerous other household gadgets? When a child swallows a button battery, it may become stuck in the esophagus and an electrical current can form around the outside of the battery. This can result in serious internal injuries, including tissue damage, chemical burns, and even death. In May 2012, a major study linked the introduction of the button battery to a substantial rise in the number of battery-related emergency room visits made by children over the past two decades.
At Alonso Krangle LLP, our personal injury lawyers have extensive experience fighting for the rights of people injured by defective products, especially children. We are currently offering free lawsuit evaluations in all 50 states to any family whose child suffered a serious internal injury after swallowing a button battery. To learn more about the legal options available to you, please contact the button battery injury lawyers at Alonso Krangle LLP today.
Button Battery Injuries on the Rise
According to a study published in the journal Pediatrics, more than 80% of the battery-related emergency room visits made by children between 1990 and 2009 involved injuries sustained from button batteries, either swallowing the tiny batteries, or placing them in their ears or nose. More than 75% of all battery-related hospital visits involved children 5 or younger. Overall, the number of emergency room visits made by children for battery-related injuries doubled over the 20 year time period covered in the study.
The time frame covered in the Pediatrics study coincided with the introduction of the 3-volt 20-millimeter lithium battery, which is “more powerful and can cause tissue damage more quickly,” according to the study authors. These types of button batteries have become ubiquitous, and can be found in numerous household electronic devices, including:
- toys
- hearing aids
- watches
- singing greeting cards
- remote controls
- bathroom scales
- lashing jewelry
- games
- key-less entry devices
- calculators
If a swallowed button battery lands with its negative pole in contact with tissue fluids in the liming of the esophagus, a microcurrent can generate hydroxide, resulting in alkaline burns and perforations of the esophagus in less than two hours. Parents and caregivers are often unaware that a child has swallowed a button battery. The Pediatrics study also reported than more than 60 percent of button battery incidents initially were misdiagnosed. Symptoms resemble ailments common in children, such as an upset stomach and fever, and in some cases, there are no symptoms at all.
The authors of the Pediatrics study called on manufacturers to launch efforts to make battery compartments in toys and other products inaccessible and child-resistant. They also advised parents to tape shut the battery compartments on household gadgets so they can’t be easily accessed by children.
Learn More about Filing a Button Battery Injury Lawsuit
If your child suffered serious internal injuries after swallowing a button battery, you may be able to file a lawsuit to obtain compensation for your child’s medical bills, pain and suffering, and other damages. To learn more about the legal options available to you, please contact the button battery injury lawyers today at Alonso Krangle LLP by filling out our online form or calling us.