Injury lawyer reveals three kids toys he would NEVER buy and you should avoid this Christmas
A US catastrophic injury and death lawyer who 'deals with the worst things every day' has revealed the three toys he would never buy for children.
Tom Bosworth of Philadelipha, who also goes by Tommy the Lawyer on TikTok, often shares legal tips and advice with his 210,000 followers.
In a recent videohe said that he 'knows people are doing their Christmas shopping' and that's why he wanted to issue a warning.
He shared the three children's toys that he would “absolutely never use or buy under any circumstances.”
The clip has been seen by a whopping 5.1 million people in less than a week, with viewers talking about their own experiences in the comments – read on to find out what the lawyer advises you to avoid.
A US catastrophic injury and death lawyer who 'deals with the worst things every day' has revealed the three toys he would never buy for children
Water beads
He said the number one toy he would never buy for his children would be water beads.
Earlier this year, a Wisconsin mother called for a ban on water beads as bath toys after the tragic death of her 10-month-old daughter when she accidentally ate one without her parents' knowledge.
The lawyer said: 'A common brand name for this is Orbeez. They are very small plastic beads and the problem with them is that they expand exponentially when put in water.
'They are intended for children to develop tactile skills and learn texture and colors and so on.
“But there are reports that several children, even swallowing or ingesting one of these substances, caused intestinal obstructions and blockages and resulted in multiple child deaths.”
Orbeez has been contacted for comment.
Toys with button batteries
Tommy continued, “Number two would be button battery toys.”
He made a penny size with his fingers and warned, “If you've ever seen those little batteries that are about this big and round and round, they're in a lot of different toys.
Tom Bosworth from Philadelphia, also known as Tommy the Lawyer on TikTok, often shares legal tips and advice with his 210,000 followers
“Those things are insanely dangerous because if a child accidentally swallows them, they get stuck in their esophagus or windpipe.”
He explained: 'The chemical mixture in batteries, especially these button batteries, can erode the esophagus and burn a hole in the child's trachea or esophagus within seconds or minutes.'
Incline sleep devices
Finally, the US Attorney warns against any inclined sleeping devices.
He tells viewers: These are things that are often sold in stores. It's anything marketed that your baby can sleep in that isn't a completely flat angle – anything slanted.
“Luckily there have been recalls of these in recent years, but some companies have gotten creative and stopped marketing them as incline sleep devices, calling them bouncers or whatever.
'The bottom line is that a baby should always sleep flat on its back and not at an angle.'
One commenter agreed: 'As a preschool teacher, bouncers are nice to have, but they are NOT for sleeping under any circumstances.'
Another shocked user revealed: 'Crazy that both my kids slept in a side sleeper as babies. I had no idea!'
Someone else asked: 'Can someone explain why side sleeping is bad when they are stuck? I know some babies hate lying flat so I'm just curious,” to which other commenters replied, “positional asphyxiation” and “their heads can lean forward, blocking their airways.”
One furious mum said: 'Orbeez MUST BE REMOVED FROM SHELVES!!'
Someone else wondered: 'Who thought orbeez was a good idea?!? It has caused so much damage.”
Others wrote: 'I've only learned to use button batteries as they literally screw in so you need tools to replace them' and 'Button batteries are one of my biggest fears as a mother of five'.