Defective Baby Monitor Leads to House Fire

By Staff Writer

Faulty baby monitors are the focus of a recent court case that has been moved to federal court after it was shown that the previous civil jurisdiction was incorrect—due to the judgement exceeding $75,000. The baby monitors in question were manufactured by Summer Infant (a company out of Rhode Island) and sold by Toys R Us (out of Delaware).

To date, the government has recalled at least 800,000 monitors, stating that the rechargeable batteries that power the device are a fire hazard. The monitors are handheld and the batteries can overheat to the point of rupture.

The events leading up to this defective product lawsuit took place back in 2013. For their baby shower, Travis E. Ellison III and Amy D. Ellison were given a Summer Infant baby monitor, according to the original court documents. Upon the birth of their child, the couple used the “brand new, from the box” baby monitor for the first year of their child’s life. Just after a year, while Amy Ellison was home with their child, a fire broke out. According to the suit, a large fire was started when the monitor malfunctioned.

Upon investigation, the Charleston (West Virginia) Fire Department concluded that the baby monitor led to the Ellison house fire. As such, the baby monitor was found defective and, according to the suit, injured the plaintiffs. Furthermore, the suit concluded that either the condition of the baby monitor was known by Toys R Us and/or Summer Infant, or they should have known.

Ensuring that products are safe for the public is important. Failure to do so can break down the level of trust consumers have with manufacturers. This is especially true when children’s products are involved. That’s why the Tennessee personal injury law firm, Gilreath & Associates, offers free consultations to anyone injured by a defective product.

Check out our blog and knowledge center for information about product liability and our other personal injury practice areas.

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