The tragic death of a 29-year-old Colorado woman, as well as severe neck injuries in two other people, prompted the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to recall 21,000 Banzai Falls in-ground pool slides sold at Toys R Us and Wal-Mart stores between January 2005 and June 2009.
The CPSC determined the slides are defective and can deflate suddenly, causing the user to crash to the ground. That is exactly what happened to Robin Aleo who was visiting relatives in Andover, Massachusetts with her husband Michael Aleo and their 18-month-old daughter.
The Aleo family was swimming at the home of Michael Aleo’s aunt and uncle, Sarah and William Letsky, on June 29, 2006. The Banzai pool slide had been inflated and set up over the concrete edge of their in-ground pool.
Robin Aleo climbed to the top of the 6’ Banzai Falls slide and started sliding down headfirst. When she was nearly down, the slide suddenly bottomed out and Aleo hit her head on the concrete, breaking her neck. She was paralyzed from the neck down and unable to breathe. Her injuries were so severe that she was removed from life support the next day at a Boston hospital.
On June 9, 2006, a few weeks before Robin Aleo’s death, a 24-year-old Springfield, Missouri camp counselor was severely injured in a similar Banzai Falls slide accident. Mark Grantham was sliding down headfirst when the slide partially deflated and he hit his head on the edge of the concrete pool deck. He was left a quadriplegic. A woman from Allentown, Pennsylvania also fractured her neck in a similar accident.
The Houston personal injury lawyers at Denena Points, PC are deeply distressed to hear of the death and serious injuries associated with the Banzai Falls in-ground pool slide. They urge you to stop using the slide and return it to the nearest Toys R Us or Wal-Mart for a full refund.
If you have been injured due to a defective product or the negligence of others, contact an experienced Denena Points, PC attorney toll free at 877-307-9500 for a free case review. Alternatively, you can download a free copy of their book, Danger in the Park: Your Guide to Keeping Your Kids Safe on a Roller Coaster, for more information.