Nerf Gun toy guns with projectiles

The reports, as CPSC published them

1. Hospital admission

   Made Apr 6, 2012 · , sent to the company May 11, 2012 · , published by CPSC May 25, 2012

   The product, in the report: Nerf Gun

   Around May 1, 2011 caller’s client was lying in bed watching television with his nine year old son when his son discharged his Nerf Gun, the dart hit the ceiling then bounced back and hit him in the right eye.

   The client lives in a rural area where the nearest town is approximately ten miles away. He put ice on his eye, kept moist damp cloth on intermittently and pain resided, swelling went down in approximately two to three days.

   Within the next couple of weeks he noticed that his vision was becoming blurry, his peripheral vision was lessened and his perception of distance was damaged.

   He went to an Opthomologist May 31, 2011 who saw retinal detachment with sub retinol hemorrhage, surgery performed June 3, 2011 to correct damage.

   Manufacturer was sent a letter from attorney/caller August 12, 2011, received a response from Chartis Insurance Company stating that manufacturer was offering a nuisance value offer of $5,000 although they were refuting liability.

   Caller creating report to alert public to possible danger to public during play with these toy guns. He would like warnings placed on these guns detailing possible ricochet dangers as well as providing goggles with these guns also as they do with other guns they manufacture. Initially his client did not link his eye problems with the accident because damage is not obvious for weeks/months and the longer the retina is detached the worse the damage to the eye. His client now has to also have cataract surgery due to the detachment and he is in greater risk for permanent vision loss due to having retinal detachment occurrence if hit in eye in future.

   UPDATE: I would like to also warn other persons of the danger of playing with Nerf Dart Guns while indoors/and to warn others, who are not participating, that are in “the zone of danger (close proximity to Nerf Dart Guns being discharged)”, that this type of injury could occur from a direct hit or an indirect hit to the eye due to hard objects commonly found in the home and in close quarters as this is promoted as a say indoor game and any participant and non-participant should be warned to wear goggles.

   Model

   Switch Shot Ex3

   Bought from

   Walmart, Florida

   Bought

   Mar 31, 2010, about then

   Where

   Greenville, Florida: Home/Apartment/Condominium

   Who was involved

   Age 56, Male

   The reporter’s relation to them

   My Client, Patient, Student, Etc. (professional relationship)

   As this report names them

   Brand Nerf Gun, made or sold by HASBRO INC.

   How badly, in CPSC’s words

   Injury, Hospital Admission

CPSC’s disclaimer

Sources