HILLSBORO, Ore. — An 18-month-old Hillsboro boy has died after falling into a washing machine Friday morning, police said.

Medical crews responded to the call Friday morning of a child stuck in a washing machine and was unresponsive, according to Lt. Michael Rouches of the Hillsboro Police Dept. He said due to the odd circumstances of the accident, police were also called to the scene.

Investigators said the boy apparently climbed onto a tub in front of the top-loading washing machine. He then climbed on top of the washer, lost his balance and fell inside.

His mother told police she was in the living room, less than 25 feet away from the laundry room, and had just sat down to read a magazine. When she realized she had not heard from her son for a short while, she went to check on him and found him wedged into the washer.

She enlisted the help of a neighbor, who runs a day care, to get the boy out of the machine and perform CPR on him, Rouches said. His pulse had returned and he was breathing when medical responders put him in an ambulance, but he was still unresponsive.

He was taken to Tuality Hospital, then moved to Oregon Health and Science University. He remained in critical condition until was taken off of life support Saturday evening.

While the machine can reportedly operate with its lid open, Rouches did not say whether it was in operation when the boy fell in.

Products Liability

There have been three child fatalities involving washing machines since 2004,  which involved top-loading machines.
You are entitled to file a products liability claim if you suffered injuries because a manufacturer made a product that was defective or malfunctioned. If your son or daughter is a minor, you can also file a products liability case involving injuries to minors on his or her behalf.

For several decades, the Law Offices of Gary A Kessler has represented those who have been seriously injured.  Through experience and education, our firm is able to expertly evaluate medical injuries and persue personal injury claims on behalf of the injured plaintiff.  The Law Offices of Gary A Kessler provides sophisticated legal services for almost any type of injury.

22,000 deaths and 29.5 million injuries are associated with consumer products under the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s jurisdiction.  The injuries, deaths and associated property damage from defective products cost the American public over $500 billion annually.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission advises that there are 200-300 product recalls each year.  Numerous products that are recalled because of defects or dangerous conditions include automobiles, tires, furniture, boats, planes, household appliances, tools and safety equipment such as smoke detectors and fire alarms.  These products are designed for our safe use, when they fail because of defects they can cause serious injury including brain injury, spinal cord injury, paralysis, blindness, scarring, pain, suffering and death.

While there is no federal product liability law, there are state laws, such as in California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Pennsylvania and D.C. designed to prevent harm and provide compensation for damages or injuries caused due to a defective product.