Child Strangled in Soccer Goal Net Leads to Recall
The recall of certain MacGregor and Mitre Soccer goals was prompted by the strangulation death of a 21 month old boy. The netting must have looked like an attractive climbing area. What he could not know was that the netting he was climbing on had cords set up in grids that were five inches (5") wide. Wide enough to allow his head to easily pop through, but trapping him there. As a result of this defectively designed piece of athletic equipment, the boy was strangled, and died. Because the grids were probably too wide, the goal, and 190,000 others manufactured by MacGregor and Mitre, were recalled, to avoid causing additional serious personal injuries to young children, according to Sporting Kid, the National Alliance for Youth Sports Winter 2008 publication (www.nays.org)
Sports are risky enough. Defective sporting equipment and other defective products used in sports enhance those risks, especially when used by children. Serious personal injuries occur every day on the sports fields. I have been coaching for six years, and make it a priority to check the fields, equipment, courts and players' personal equipment prior to the start of practice or a game. Most towns encourage feedback on the condition of their athletic facilities. Parents and coaches must be on the lookout for problems with defective equipment, and notify officials and those responsible for the equipment of concerns with the safety, design and set-up of sports equipment and facilities. If you or your child were injured while participating in a sports event, you should contact an experienced personal injury lawyer who has handled these types of claims, and can explain your rights.
More information on product safety, recalls and warnings can be found at the Consumer Product Safety Commission website, or at the State of Connecticut's Department of Consumer Protection
