FEBRUARY 19, 2009 – A case has been settled regarding a 2005 injury resulting from a child’s toy. In 2005, 3-year-old Brooke Silcox was playing with a toy phone called the Expressions Sonic Cellular Phone Hair Set. The toy was powered by watch batteries, two of which were stored in the toy for a replacement. Brooke inserted one of the batteries in her nose, where it remained for several days. Her parents were unaware until the child began crying and shuddering, with a waxy black liquid leaking out of her nose. They took Brooke to urgent care for x-rays, and she was immediately referred to the Children’s Hospital in San Diego. Doctors were able to remove the battery with a catheter. It was discovered that the battery had been leaking and shocking the inside of the girl’s nose, which burned a hole in her septum. The hole cannot be repaired until Brooke is finished growing.Brooke’s family stated that the toy was defective and dangerous, and the manufacturer was negligent in its design, assembly, and distribution. They believed the toy did not meet the requirements of the Child Safety Protection Act. The toy manufacturer argued that the packaging was sufficient, and the child’s parents were negligent in not adequately monitoring their daughter with the toy.The case was settled for $75,000.
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