Chicago Product Liability Attorney - Article

Crocs: Another Escalator Hazard

Everyone knows what Crocs are: the funny-looking plastic shoes that are supposed to be extremely comfortable. They come in sizes for individuals of all ages. They’re technically plastic clogs that were meant to be a spa shoe.

Crocs are made from resin croslite, which is an ethylene vinyl acetate. The foam adjusts and molds itself to the wearer’s foot. These shoes are also purported to have a number of medical benefits, according to many podiatrists.

Unfortunately, they started to come under scrutiny in 2006, when it was revealed that a number of children had incurred serious injuries from the crocs when the shoe got caught in the mechanisms of escalators. Children are more at risk for these injuries than adults because their feet, and hence their shoes, are so much smaller.

The problem is serious enough that a number of hospitals have banned all crocs with holes in them. They are still permitting nurses and other staff members to wear the closed-top “Professional” and “Rx” lines.

Bleking Hospital in Sweden has banned Crocs completely. They are concerned that the plastic shoes may build up static electricity and then interfere with complicated electronic equipment, much of which is responsible for keeping people alive.

Because of the number of injuries related to Crocs and escalators, a number of places, including entire subway lines, have posted signs warning parents of the dangers of letting children wear Crocs on the escalator. What happens is that the child puts his or her foot too close to the edge of the escalator. This causes the Croc to rub against the side, creating friction. The friction creates enough heat to melt the shoe, which is then pulled into the mechanisms of the escalator.

If your child has been hurt by Crocs and an escalator, please contact the Chicago product liability attorneys of Friedman & Bonebrake at 312-466-8200 to discuss your situation and to determine your legal options.