Lawyers in the UK and US are preparing to take action on behalf of parents against the British pushchair manufacturer Maclaren, after incidences in which small children have lost fingers or fingertips in the buggies’ folding mechanism.

Parents in the US first announced that they would be taking the pushchair manufacturer to court – and Maclaren issued a safety pack to help prevent further accidents involving children getting their fingers trapped in the mechanism.

No action was taken in the UK because the pushchair maker told Trading Standards Officers that only one case had been reported in Britain.

However, the Daily Mail reports that, over several years, other parents in the UK have reported injuries that involved their children getting fingers trapped in the buggies – and one doctor also called for safety improvements.

The claims could amount to millions of pounds if successful. The company has offered parents in the UK free covers for hinges on their buggies if they apply by email. Parents in the US have already been offered free covers for hinges after the company was ordered to take action by safety chiefs.

As many as 15 families have already instructed personal injury lawyers against the company – and many more could follow.

Maclaren began trading in 1967 and has manufactured millions of buggies over the years. A spokesman for the company said:

‘We are making every effort to establish the exact nature of the incidents. Our impeccable safety record means there are zero injuries when the child is properly fastened into the buggy.’

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