The US Consumer Product Safety Commission is investigating the death of Kaylee Ishii, a 4-year-old Orange County girl who died after she scrambled into a washing machine. The machine is a Kenmore 417, and federal investigators want to determine whether the washing machine poses a safety hazard.
Investigators believe the tragic accident happened after the girl's 15-month-old brother accidentally pressed the start button that activated the front-loading machine. The girl, whose family is from Mission Viejo, tumbled around in the machine for a number of minutes. Kaylee was transported to Mission Hospital where doctors treated her injuries for some five hours before she was pronounced dead.
Now, the CPSC wants to determine whether a new safety standard needs to be applied to front-loader washing machines. The agency already has a safety standard for top-loader machines that halts the agitator when someone opens the lid of the machine. The CPSC says it has received three reports since January 2004 of washing machine deaths involving child victims. The Orange County toddler's death, however, is the first fatality involving a front-loader machine.
The Kenmore 417 comes with an "easy start" button that is located just 20 inches off the ground. The Orange County Sheriff's Office says that once the machine is turned on it is very hard to open the door. While Kaylee's death has been ruled accidental, the CPSC wants to figure out whether a product recall is necessary.
Products Liability
Product manufacturers are obligated to make sure that their products do not pose a safety risk to users. Or, if there are any inherent hazards involved or dangers that can result, the manufacturer must include the applicable warnings so that users can take steps to protect themselves from injuries. Failure to fulfill these obligations can be grounds for a products liability lawsuit if a person is injured or dies because a product malfunctioned or was defective.
Wrongful Death
If your son or daughter died in an accident that was caused by another party's negligence, you may be able to hold the responsible person, company, or other entity liable by filing a California wrongful death lawsuit for damages. With a few exceptions, family members usually have two years from the date of death to sue all negligent parties for damages.
Washer in Mission Viejo girl's death is scrutinized, Los Angeles Times, February 6, 2009
Feds investigating 4-year-old's washing machine death, Boston Globe, February 6, 2009
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Our Orange County wrongful death lawyers at Howard Law, LLP represent families whose children were injured or killed in injury to minor accidents. Contact our California personal injury law firm to schedule your free case evaluation.
