The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that Taito of America Corp. of Buffalo Grove, Ill., has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $50,000. This penalty will settle allegations that the company failed to file a report, required by the Consumer Product Safety Act, regarding a potentially dangerous defect in 370 Supersonic Blastman video arcade games.
Supersonic Blastman players try to knock down a large, foam-filled circular pad attached to a metal arm by punching the pad as hard as possible. CPSC alleges that between 1991 and 1994, Taito failed to report about 70 cases in which young players fractured or injured wrists and arms as a result of hitting the Blastman's punching pad. Taito manufactured 320 Supersonic Blastman games in the United States between 1991 and 1992, and imported another 50 games during the same period.
In agreeing to settle this matter, Taito denied that the Blastman was defective or unreasonably dangerous. Taito also denied that it knowingly violated the reporting requirements of the Consumer Product Safety Act.
In March 1995, Taito voluntarily recalled the Blastman and compensated owners and distributors for each arcade game.
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The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risk of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products has contributed to a decline in the rate of injuries associated with consumer products over the past 50 years.
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