Crocs sued for lack of safety features

by rpshen | September 10, 2008 at 01:25 pm

2813 views | 8 Recommendations | 28 comments

Colorado-based footwear company Crocs Inc. has been under a lot of heat recently after a four-year old boy injured his foot in an escalator accident while wearing one of their products. His family has filed a lawsuit against the company claiming the safety features were inadequate.

The family of a child whose foot was maimed in an escalator accident at the Atlanta airport is suing Crocs Inc., saying the Colorado-based footwear company failed to put safety features in the soft-soled shoes.

The lawsuit filed Aug. 26 by Clark Meyer, who is the father of a 4-year-old boy identified as "A.M.," seeks $2 million in damages.

Attorney Stephen McConnell said the boy was riding an escalator at the airport July 15 when the machinery mangled his Crocs and "severely and permanently damaged" his right foot.

Crocs refuses to comment on the issue but apparently this type of accident is not the first of its kind.

New York-based attorney Andrew Laskin, who is leading the case, also is handling the case of a 3-year-old girl from Louisville, Ky., injured when an escalator ripped skin from her foot and broke three toes in June.

Laskin is also suing Crocs over a child who was hurt at a Los Angeles mall. He has settled two other cases with the footwear company, but declined to comment on them.

"This is happening everywhere and Crocs is basically saying it's the fault of the escalators — or the parents are not watching their children," Laskin said. "But that would be the case only if it kept happening on the same escalator over and over again."

In April, Japanese and Filipino authorities asked the Niwot, Colo.-based company to consider changing the footwear's design because of similar escalator accidents in their countries.

The shoe company has promised to insert safety tags into its packaging by next year.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has documented 77 soft shoe entrapments on escalators since January 2006 and issued a warning in May.

In a 16-page letter to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in June, the company's engineering director Erik Olson said Crocs has knowledge of 186 accidents involving its shoes and has initiated "safety investigations."

But he added, "Crocs shoes neither present nor introduce a unique hazard pattern when worn by children or adults on escalators."

While it doesn't look like Crocs will respond to these concerns, one place has already started doing their part in ensuring public safety.

At least three children were injured in the last three months when Atlanta airport escalators gobbled up their flip flops or Crocs.

The airport began posting signs and airing public service announcements in August warning travelers of the dangers of "shoe entrapment" on escalators. Georgia Department of Labor workers examined the escalators and deemed them safe.

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kimarketing

at 17:27 on September 10th, 2008

The story behind Kim's Crocs.

kimarketing has contributed a photo to this story.

aime lee

at 17:43 on September 10th, 2008

aime lee's crocs photo

aime lee has contributed a photo to this story.

ddexter_free

at 17:50 on September 10th, 2008

Me and my family are a great fan of CROCS. I have one. My wife has two and my 4 year-old son has another three. We love using it and we have never had a problem with it. We need to watch over our children especially in escalators, with our without CROCS.

ddexter_free has contributed a photo to this story.

jadsea514

at 20:45 on September 10th, 2008

I hate Crocs, so I wear these knock-offs that serve the same purpose of being easily washed, but not so fugly.

jadsea514 has contributed a photo to this story.

cotaro70s

at 22:27 on September 10th, 2008

I love Crocs.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cotaro70s/2751674897/

mandolinslave

at 22:27 on September 10th, 2008

I personally don't have anything against crocs. The escalator accidents take place all the time and not only when people wear crocs. You should be extremely careful when you or your children wear any kind of flip-flops or havaianas as well as long trousers and skirts on the escalators.

mandolinslave has contributed a photo to this story.

yikesleanne

at 22:40 on September 10th, 2008

stesettantadue

at 22:56 on September 10th, 2008

The shoes of my photo are not original but a pair bought in the beach.
I think that they are very comfortable even if ugly to use to the sea and not in the life of every day, inclusive airports.

stesettantadue has contributed a photo to this story.

jconlaj

at 23:07 on September 10th, 2008

with crocs i'm going on toru in fuerteventura and spain...are confrtable and with them i can do all i want!!

jconlaj has contributed a photo to this story.

iansimages

at 23:10 on September 10th, 2008

iansimages has contributed a photo to this story.

shaggy359

at 23:45 on September 10th, 2008

Is this really a problem with the shoes or with the escalator? Are the shoes inherently dangerous or is it just that they don't protect you if you stick your feet into the working parts of the machinery?

Crocs are also not great protection in a muddy field. I intend to sue a cow.

shaggy359 has contributed a photo to this story.

rene.dee.t21

at 23:55 on September 10th, 2008

I bought my first Crocs in August 2008, specifically to wear on a sailing holiday in the Aegean Sea on the advice of my Cousin, whose Catamaran I was joining for two weeks.

They were absolutely fantastic and better than any other form of footwear because of their non-slip soles (essential when moving around a boat in full sail in a Force 7 gale) and the protecting your feet from stays, and other protuberances that could cause injury with lesser forms of footwear. They were also immediately and constantly comfortable, better than any sandals I have worn.

My photo shows me, 'learning to love my crocs' while waiting for a train to Thessaloniki on Athens Station.

rene.dee.t21 has contributed a photo to this story.

Charles Nouÿrit

at 02:46 on September 11th, 2008

Honnestly, people who sue Crocs because there kids get injured need that money to buy themselves a brain.

Will you sue havaianas or any other brand of flip-flop 'cause your kid get injured with it?

What a shame, if you don't want your kids to get hurt, don't have them, best way to keep them safe!
BTW I have kids, and them getting hurt (some times) is part of there education...

Uwe Paschen

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 04:19 on September 11th, 2008

rpshen, I like this story. It's good stuff.

volker.staeudel

at 04:44 on September 11th, 2008

Picture was taken in beautiful elgouna Egypt at the Sehraton Miramar Hotel. So you see Crabs loves Crocs

volker.staeudel has contributed a photo to this story.

tah_dah

at 04:54 on September 11th, 2008

Obviously we need to watch out for our children's safety, whatever they may happen to have on their feet, but suing the company is pretty ridiculous (but then again, this is the land of frivolous lawsuits!) I adore crocs, and the kiddos have cheap knockoffs that they've been wearing all summer long.

tah_dah has contributed a photo to this story.

DieterThePhotographer

at 05:01 on September 11th, 2008

Question is : are they really that dangerous, they are really confortable !

DieterThePhotographer has contributed a photo to this story.

hozae

at 05:33 on September 11th, 2008

I don't see how crocs are any less safe than flip flops.

As stated in my photo, I hate the way the look, but love the way they feel. Do they claim to be the safest shoe?

http://www.nowpublic.com/strange/damn-crocs taken in Asheville, North Carolina

zala1955

at 06:49 on September 11th, 2008

A sandle and Croc rack outside of a small shop in the old Greek sponge fishing village at Tarpon Springs, Fl.

zala1955 has contributed a photo to this story.

zeozadan

at 06:52 on September 11th, 2008

The 2nd croc entered our family. Bought this for my wife and loved it ever since.It is so easy to take care and light too.!

zeozadan has contributed a photo to this story.

Al_B

at 07:15 on September 11th, 2008

A non-sinister view of a pair of kid's Crocs :)

Al Benas, Photography

Al_B has contributed a photo to this story.

capsicina

at 07:32 on September 11th, 2008

CROCS are AMAZING!!!!

capsicina has contributed a photo to this story.

flinchagainstthefire

at 08:42 on September 11th, 2008

I LOVE my Crocs, I'm doing an Animal Care program in college and they are pefect for working with the animals! Most of the students and teachers wear Crocs with their scrubs as an unofficial uniform. As with any open shoe, care must be taken when riding escalators as it is easy to get them caught if the gaps are too large (especially with a child's foot). People are too quick to blame everyone else for their misfortunes, the same thing could have EASILY happened with sandals or flip flops. People are just sue happy and will take any opportunity to get themselves some monitary compensation. A friend told me of a woman who dropped a 2L bottle of pop on her foot and injured herself in a store, and then tried to inquire about suing the store!