A class action lawsuit was filed after at least 15 toddler boys suffered cuts to their genitals from using a potty-training toilet seat, attorneys filing suit claimed in a news conference Wednesday.
Family-owned California company, Prince Lionheart, has been making products for children for 45 years, but a class action lawsuit filed in Florida claims one of their potty training products, the WeePod Basix, is causing serious harm to toddler boys.
"He was sitting on a WeePod Basix, and then when he was picked off the toilet, his penis got caught and stretched so far that it wrapped 80 percent around the base of the penis," said Brian, the father of a boy who said his son suffered injury while using the seat. The attorney's client only wanted to be identified by his first name.
Brian filed a lawsuit in December against Prince Lionheart and Target, which is where he bought the WeePod Basix. His trial starts in a few weeks, but his attorneys have also filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of another client.
"This product has cut the penises of about 15 children," attorney John Carpenter said.
The class action lawsuit alleges the design of the WeePod Basix and the material it is made out of causes young skin to stick to it.
"Like an old leather car seat and you're wearing a tank top and it sticks, so it's the same mechanism," said attorney John Kristensen. "When you pull it off, the penis is still stuck but the rest of the body is moving. That skin is so sensitive that it rips."
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Kristensen said Prince Lionheart changed the product after the first lawsuit was filed, but the new suit aims to get the old versions taken off the market. He said there are about 650,000 still being sold.
"There are still half million of them out there. There's still inventory. This was purchased three weeks ago," he said during a news conference in Los Angeles as he held up the potty trainer.
An attorney for Prince Lionheart sent a statement to NBC4, saying their products meet the highest safety standards and "the attempt to try the case in the press is distasteful."
Statement from Brad Snyder, attorney for Prince Lionheart:
"The Court has issued a protective order that bars the parties and their attorneys from disclosing any information that has been produced during the discovery process. Persons who violate the protective order can be held in contempt of court. For that reason, I am unable to comment about the details of the case. What I can say is that my client is a family owned company that has been developing products that meet the highest standards in safety, quality and performance for the past 45 years.
Suffice it to say that we disagree with the claims that are being made by the Plaintiffs and their attorneys in this lawsuit. The attempt to try this case in the press is distasteful, and we will wait for the jury to decide."
Target also issued a statement saying it requires all vendors to follow product safety laws and Consumer Product Safety Commission guidelines.
"Target is committed to providing high quality and safe products to our guests, and we require all of our vendors to follow product safety laws and CPSC guidelines for their products that they sell at Target. Prince Lionheart manufactures the product and sells it at a variety of retailers. Prince Lionheart has been in direct communication with the guest's attorneys on this lawsuit..."
