Earlier this month a class action lawsuit was filed against Prince Lionheart after “at least 15 toddler boys suffered cuts to their genitals from using a potty-training toilet seat.” Prince Lionheart is a family-owned company in California that has been busy “making products for children for 45 years.” However, the lawsuit alleges that one of the company's “potty training products, the WeePod Basix, is causing serious harm to toddler boys.”When discussing the lawsuit, Brian, the father of one of the young boys who allegedly suffered an injury while sitting on the seat, said his son “was sitting on a WeePod Basix, and then when he was picked off the toilet, his genitals got caught and stretched.”Brian, who only wants to go by his first name, not only decided to file the class action lawsuit against Prince Lionheart, but also Target, “which is where he bought the WeePod Basix.” While his suit is due to begin in a few short weeks, his attorneys have proceeded with filing another class action suit on behalf of another client whose son had a similar experience. But what is causing the incidents?

Toddler toilet training; image courtesy of
PublicDomainPictures via Pixabay, www.pixabay.com

Well, the lawsuit is blaming the design of the WeePod Basix. According to the suit, the training toilets are made with material that “causes young skin to stick to it.” Attorney John Kristensen said:“Like an old leather car seat and you're wearing a tank top and it sticks, so it's the same mechanism. 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.”Kristensen noted that even though Prince Lionheart quickly “changed the product after the first lawsuit was filed, the suit aims to get the old versions taken off the market.” He claims there are still nearly 650,000 being sold across the country.How have Prince Lionheart and Target responded to the lawsuits, though? For starters, Brad Snyder, an attorney for Prince Lionheart, issued a statement claiming “their products meet the highest safety standards and the attempt to try the case in the press is distasteful.” Snyder added:"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 on 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."Additionally, Target issued the following statement:“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...”

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Lawsuit Claims Potty Training Seat Sold at Target Cut Toddlers' GenitalsTarget sued over Prince Lionheart potty training seat that parents say cut genitals of 15 toddlers