WINDOW COVERINGS
WINDOW COVERINGS / CONSUMER PRODUCTS
Listed as a Top 5 Hidden Hazard in the home by the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) window coverings have killed and/or injured over 600 children throughout the United States.
This common household product contains a defective and dangerous lift cord which poses a strangulation hazard to small children.
For decades, the window covering industry has been aware that the dangerous and defective lift cord on the blinds poses a strangulation hazard for small children.
Further, the industry has acknowledged in their own publications that window blind cords kill or injure 1 child per month.
The Window blind industry knows that the cords hanging from its headrails pose strangulation hazards to young children and that furniture in front of blinds increases the chance of a child accessing a cord.
Window blind cords pose the following hazards:
Looped Cords:
Children become entangled in the loops on blind cords. These loops can be formed as part of the design when manufactured or created when the lift or tilt cords tangle and knot. Many times, the knots are created as parents attempt to remove cords out of reach causing the cords to tangle and knot. Children then become entangled in loop created by the knotted cord.
Wrap around Strangulation:
Manufacturers of window coverings have known since at least 1985 that long lift or tilt cords expose children to strangulation. Despite this knowledge, blinds have continued to be manufactured with long cords. These long cords can easily be wrapped around a child’s neck causing hundreds of serious injuries and deaths.
Cord Connectors or Cord Joiners:
Despite knowing that loops on blind cords increase the strangulation hazard to small children, manufacturers continue to manufacture window clovers with multiple cords joined together by a cord connector, cord joiner or cord stop ball. The loop formed by these devises poses a strangulation hazard to small children.
Remember to always buy cordless window coverings. If you have corded window coverings in your home, considering replacing these window coverings with cordless blinds. If that is not an option, please purchase and install cord cleats for the pull cords and tilt cords on your window coverings anytime the blind is not being operated. Never place furniture in front of a window blind as furniture allows for additional height for children to access dangerous blind cords.
Our partner James Corrigan is widely recognized as a national advocate and authority on window blind strangulation and safety. Mr. Corrigan and his attorneys in our law firm have handled over 80 cases involving catastrophic injuries and deaths involving strangulation on window covering cords throughout the United States.
The first jury trial in the United States involving a corded blind was tried in Salt Lake City, Utah where the Jury returned a verdict for $25,000,000, the largest verdict for the wrongful death of a child in the state of Utah. See more details.
He has been involved in lawsuits against every major manufacturer of window coverings including Springs Window Fashions, Hunter Douglas, Levolor, Kirsch, Newell Rubbermaid, Cheng Feng, Nien Made, Custom Craft, American Blinds, Century Blinds, and many more. He has also held many of the major retailers, including Home Depot, Lowe’s, Wal-Mart, Target, Meijer, K-Mart, J.C. Penny’s, and Menards of Window Coverings responsible for causing the death or serious brain injuries of children throughout the United States.
Our law firm’s attorneys have handled window blind strangulation cases throughout the country including Missouri, Maine, Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, Utah, Wisconsin, California, Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, Connecticut, Arizona, Colorado, Virginia, Montana, New Jersey, Washington, Tennessee, Oregon, and South Dakota.
We continue our tradition of fighting the manufacturers, retailers, distributers and property management companies throughout the United States to rid these dangerous and defective window blinds from the marketplace. We continue to work towards making cordless window coverings the only option for stock blinds at retail outlets and keep our children safe in our own homes.
To date, our attorneys have successfully resolved over 70 cases for millions of dollars in confidential settlements.
Call 314-405-9000
We have the experience and resources necessary to assist you and your loved ones through this difficult time by holding the responsible parties involved accountable and advocating for industry changes.
Below are examples of settlements attorneys in our firm obtained in mini blind cases:
$25million
Our attorneys obtained a $25,000,000 verdict for 3-year-old who died on window blind cord.
Jim Corrigan and Jim O’Leary and our firm had the honor of representing the Mahe family as a result of the strangulation of Elsie on November 22, 2016 after she became in entangled in the tilt cord of a custom made window blind for their home. When the Mahes purchased their custom window blinds in August, 2008, the Mahes were not told that the CPSC considers window blinds a TOP 5 Hidden Hazard in the Home and considers window blinds a “Silent Killer.” The Mahes were not told that there were options to render their blind child safe such as tilt wands and cordless. The Mahes were not given cord cleats to control the unreasonably long cords on their custom blinds.
Instead, this “custom” blind included tilt cords as standard instead of child safe tilt wands. Century Blinds, the manufacturer, used a warning from 1985 on its 2008 blind, choosing not to comply with the Industry ANSI standard put into effect in 1996 updating the warnings. Century then chose to ignore the ANSI revision in 2002 and the ANSI revision in 2007. Century chose not to include a cord cleat as a safety feature. For 14 cents, the added safety feature could have saved Elise’s life.
Sunny and Reno Mahe were determined to make change in the industry. The Mahes wanted to stand up to Century and its parent company to stop the killing of innocent children, by making it known that Custom Blinds need to be cordless. Manufacturers should no longer use tilt cords. The Mahes rejected a long-standing offer of judgment of $1,050,000 and an offer shortly before trial started of $1,200,000 so that their voices could be heard.
After a hard fought 2 week trial in Utah, with our trial team of the Mahes, Jim Corrigan and Jim O’Leary of OSC Law and Alan Mortensen, Lance Milne and Chris Cheney of DKOW in Utah, the jury found for the Mahes on all 6 claims of strict liability design defect, warning and negligence. Further, despite defendants focusing on the fault of parents in this and similar cases, the jury found ZERO fault against Mahes.
The jury also found that the conduct of Century Blinds was “…willful and malicious, or manifested a knowing and reckless indifference toward, and a disregard of the rights of plaintiffs,” supporting a submission of punitive damages against Century Blinds.
With the help of their attorneys, the Mahes became the first family in the United States to take a case to a jury trial for a corded blind case causing the death of a child and work towards changing the window blind industry by obtaining this historic verdict.
Members of the firm successfully resolved the claims of 3 year old girl for $15,500,000 who suffered a catastrophic brain injury after becoming entangled in the loop of a window blind with a dangerous and defective cord connector.
$15.5million
Our attorneys resolved injury and death claims involving strangulation in nationwide, including Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington in excess of $70,000,000.
$70million
$25million
Our attorneys obtained a $25,000,000 verdict for 3-year-old who died on window blind cord.
Jim Corrigan and Jim O’Leary and our firm had the honor of representing the Mahe family as a result of the strangulation of Elsie on November 22, 2016 after she became in entangled in the tilt cord of a custom made window blind for their home. When the Mahes purchased their custom window blinds in August, 2008, the Mahes were not told that the CPSC considers window blinds a TOP 5 Hidden Hazard in the Home and considers window blinds a “Silent Killer.” The Mahes were not told that there were options to render their blind child safe such as tilt wands and cordless. The Mahes were not given cord cleats to control the unreasonably long cords on their custom blinds.
Instead, this “custom” blind included tilt cords as standard instead of child safe tilt wands. Century Blinds, the manufacturer, used a warning from 1985 on its 2008 blind, choosing not to comply with the Industry ANSI standard put into effect in 1996 updating the warnings. Century then chose to ignore the ANSI revision in 2002 and the ANSI revision in 2007. Century chose not to include a cord cleat as a safety feature. For 14 cents, the added safety feature could have saved Elise’s life.
Sunny and Reno Mahe were determined to make change in the industry. The Mahes wanted to stand up to Century and its parent company to stop the killing of innocent children, by making it known that Custom Blinds need to be cordless. Manufacturers should no longer use tilt cords. The Mahes rejected a long-standing offer of judgment of $1,050,000 and an offer shortly before trial started of $1,200,000 so that their voices could be heard.
After a hard fought 2 week trial in Utah, with our trial team of the Mahes, Jim Corrigan and Jim O’Leary of OSC Law and Alan Mortensen, Lance Milne and Chris Cheney of DKOW in Utah, the jury found for the Mahes on all 6 claims of strict liability design defect, warning and negligence. Further, despite defendants focusing on the fault of parents in this and similar cases, the jury found ZERO fault against Mahes.
The jury also found that the conduct of Century Blinds was “…willful and malicious, or manifested a knowing and reckless indifference toward, and a disregard of the rights of plaintiffs,” supporting a submission of punitive damages against Century Blinds.
With the help of their attorneys, the Mahes became the first family in the United States to take a case to a jury trial for a corded blind case causing the death of a child and work towards changing the window blind industry by obtaining this historic verdict.
Members of the firm successfully resolved the claims of 3 year old girl for $15,500,000 who suffered a catastrophic brain injury after becoming entangled in the loop of a window blind with a dangerous and defective cord connector.
$15.5million
Our attorneys resolved injury and death claims involving strangulation in nationwide, including Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington in excess of $70,000,000.
$70million
