Bravo Sports, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, announced in a news release Friday that they are voluntarily recalling Disney-branded pogo sticks due to fall and laceration hazards.
According to the release, the fall hazard is posed by the possibility of the rubber tip attached to the bottom of the pogo stick frame wearing out prematurely. The risk of laceration is due to end caps that can come of the toy’s handlebars, exposing sharp edges.
Approximately 159,000 pogo sticks are affected by the recall. The affected units were sold between February 2009 and June 2011 for about $20 at Burlington Coat Factory, Kmart, Target, and Toys R Us stores and at Kohls.com.
The models being recalled are the Disney Hannah Montana Pogo Stick, the Disney Princess Pogo Stick, the Disney Fairies Cruising Cool Pogo Stick, the Disney/Pixar Toy Story Cruising Cool Pogo Stick, and the Disney/Pixar Cars Pogo Stick. The affected toys have Disney labels between the handlebars, and the manufacturing date codes, ranging from 01/01/2009-022CO and 11/30/2010-022CO, are on a clear label on the pogo stick stem near the foot pedals.
Eighty-two reports have been received by Bravo and the CPSC regarding the bottom tip wearing out. Five of those reports included complaints of injury. A 9-year-old girl cut her chin and lip and required stitches. Another 9-year-old girl suffered a skull fracture and a chipped tooth. Other reported injuries include hits to the head, teeth pushed in, and scrapes.
Consumers should stop using the pogo sticks immediately and contact Bravo Sports for a full refund.
The Disney brand name is licensed to Bravo Sports.
As a Los Angeles personal injury attorney, I encourage any consumer who has one of the pogo sticks to stop using the toy right away, and I hope that no other children have been harmed playing with one of the pogo sticks.