Maclaren — manufacturer of some of the most popular strollers sold in the United States — has issued a recall of over 1 million strollers sold between 2004 and 2009 amid reports of a design defect that could amputate children's fingertips. The strollers have been sold in the US since 1999.

The Maclaren brand strollers are especially popular among young urban professionals, as their products are light and upscale, but not overly expensive. The strollers are widely sold at major retailers, such as Babys'R'Us.

Like most lightweight, umbrella-style strollers, the Maclaren models being recalled are designed with a hinge system that allows them to fold up for easy storage when not in use. In November, Maclaren reported that at least 12 children had suffered amputation injuries when they placed their fingertips in the hinge where the stroller folds. According to a spokesperson for the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the hazard is magnified by the tendency of children to explore and put their fingers in places where they shouldn't.

Maclaren is offering free hinge covers that they hope will reduce or eliminate the danger; these are available through the company's Web site.

Prior to this recall, Maclaren strollers had a reputation for dependability, which makes the defect especially serious, both for the company and for parents who had come to rely upon their products. Many parents are upset that it took at least a dozen fingertip amputations before the company issued the recall.

In fact, the company's response to the problem is causing as much anger among parents as the problem itself. For days after the recall became known, the Maclaren USA Web site was so beleaguered by traffic that many could not order the promised hinge covers. Prominent bloggers have taken the company to task over their failure to communicate with the public.

Maclaren has made efforts to use social networking sites, such as Facebook, to guide affected parents to email with their name, address, telephone number and stroller model.

The recall includes all Maclaren single and double umbrella strollers: The models involved include Volo, Triumph, Quest Sport, Quest Mod, Techno XT, TechnoXLR, Twin Triumph, Twin Techno and Easy Traveller.

Following the Maclaren recall, two other stroller manufacturers have issued recalls over similar hazards. On January 20 the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced that Graco was recallling approximately 1.5 million strollers sold between October 2004 and February 2008. Ten days later stroller manufacturer Cybex issued a similar recall, this one affecting  over 1,000 strollers sold in the US and Canada. In both of these cases, faulty hinge mechanisms presented the risk of fingertip amputation.

If your child has suffered an amputation injury due to a stroller defect, contact an experienced personal injury attorney.