July 10, 2023 — After nearly 300 deaths reported since 2003, officials are strengthening the safety standards for adult portable bed rails.
Bed rails are supposed to prevent people from falling out of bed, but they can pose life-threatening safety risks if a person gets trapped between the bed rail and the mattress, or climbs over the rail and falls.
Adult portable bed rails were linked to 284 entrapment deaths between January 2003 and December 2021, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
Many bed rails on the market fail to comply with the voluntary industry safety standard (ASTM International (ASTM) F3186-17), so the CPSC modified it with mandatory safety standard.
The mandatory standard will update the voluntary ASTM standard with new performance requirements and a test procedure to reduce the risk of entrapment, falls, suffocation, and other hazards.
The safety standards will help “protect older adults and other vulnerable consumers from unreasonable risks of injury and death,” according to the CPSC.
Do I have a Bed Rail Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting bed rail induced injury cases in all 50 states. If your loved one was injured by an adult portable bed rail, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Product Liability Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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