Supplemental Case 3: The Playskool Travel-Lite Crib 209
After the Recall
On May 12, 1998, during naptime at his childcare provider, 16-month-old Danny Keysar was found
unconscious in the “V” of a Travel–Lite. He was rushed to the emergency room but could not be
revived. He was the fifth reported death in a Travel-Lite (Exhibit 5).
210 Supplemental Case 3: The Playskool Travel–Lite Crib
Exhibit 4
NEWS FROM CPSC
S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20207
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
March 10, 1993
(301) 504-7908
Release # 93-043
PLAYSKOOL TRAVEL-LITE PORTABLE CRIBS RECALLED BY
KOLCRAFT—SUFFOCATION RISK CITED
PRODUCT: 11,638 Playskool Travel-Lite Portable Cribs, models 77101 and 77103 manufactured by
Kolcraft Enterprises, Inc.
PROBLEM: If the side rails of the portable crib fold during use, an infant can become entrapped and
become entrapped in the “V” where the side rails fold. While it is still unclear exactly why the crib side
rails folded, Kolcraft is recalling all Travel-Lite cribs in an effort to prevent any further risk of injury to
infants using these cribs.
The Playskool Travel-Lite portable crib has two nylon mesh sides and two blue solid plastic ends.
“Playskool” appears in white letters on a red background on each end. The crib folds in the center for
hazard or can injure children. The CPSC’s work to ensure the safety of consumer products – such as
toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals – contributed significantly to the 30
percent decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30
years.
212 Supplemental Case 3: The Playskool Travel–Lite Crib
Exhibit 5
NEWS FROM CPSC
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20207
CPSC Consumer Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: Nychelle Fleming,
(301) 504-7063
CPSC URGES SEARCH FOR PREVIOUSLY RECALLED PORTABLE
CRIBS AND PLAY YARDS
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is urging consumers
to search for and stop using previously recalled child products, in particular the “Playskool Travel–Lite”
portable crib, which was manufactured by Kolcraft from 1990 through 1992 and recalled in 1993. In
May of 1998, a Chicago toddler died after a Playskool Travel-Lite portable crib collapsed.
“A death caused by a previously recalled product is a tragedy,” said CPSC Chairman Ann Brown. “We
urge consumers to make an all out effort to search their homes and daycare centers for these portable
cribs and play yards and stop using them.”
The Playskool Travel-Lite portable cribs have two nylon mesh sides and two blue solid plastic ends.
“Playskool” appears in white letters on a red background on each end. The portable crib folds in the
center for storage and handling. Stores nationwide sold 11,600 of the products from 1990 through 1992.
Supplemental Case 3: The Playskool Travel-Lite Crib 213
Date
Recalled
Product and Firm
Numbers/Dates Sold
Remedy
6/25/97
Evenflo “Happy Camper,” “Happy Cabana,”
and “Kiddie Camper” Portable Play Yards
1.2 million units sold
between 1990 and 1997
Free hinge covers.
Call firm 800-447–
9178
CPSC is asking the help of consumers, childcare providers and child welfare associations to help spread
the word about the search for these portable cribs and play yards in an effort to avoid another tragic
incident. “CPSC gets recalled products off store shelves, but we can’t go into consumers’ homes and
remove the products,” said Brown. “That’s why we want to get this message out and have consumers
act immediately to prevent another tragedy.”Before using used nursery equipment, even if it has been
214 Supplemental Case 3: The Playskool Travel–Lite Crib
Exhibit 6
NEWS FROM CPSC
S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20207
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 21, 1998
Release # 98-156
CPSC Consumer Hotline: (800) 638-2772 CPSC Media
Contact: Nychelle Fleming, (301) 504-7063
IN WAKE OF ANOTHER DEATH, CPSC AGAIN URGES SEARCH FOR
PREVIOUSLY RECALLED PORTABLE CRIBS AND PLAY YARDS
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) again is urging
consumers to immediately search for and stop using previously recalled child products, in particular the
“Playskool Travel–Lite” portable crib, which was manufactured by Kolcraft from 1990 through 1992
and recalled in 1993. According to the Asbury Park Press newspaper, a 10-month-old New Jersey infant
died on Wednesday after becoming trapped in a collapsed Playskool Travel-Lite portable crib. CPSC
issued this same warning in June, following the death of a 17-month-old Chicago toddler in the
Playskool Travel-Lite portable crib. A $60 bounty is being offered for the return of each Travel-Lite
crib.
these stories by showing the product and demonstrating the collapsing side rails. Chairman Brown has
announced these play yard recalls on network morning shows, which reach millions of viewers.
“Once again, we urge consumers to immediately search their homes and daycare centers for these
portable cribs and play yards and stop using them,” said CPSC Chairman Ann Brown. “We are asking
the news media to help us get word of these dangerous products out to consumers so that another
(800) 453-7673 for instructions on receiving the refund and disposing of the products.
The following table lists the portable cribs and play yards, manufactured by various companies, that
have been recalled because of similar hazards. Consumers and childcare providers should check for the
Date
Product and Firm
Number/Dates Sold
Remedy
11/21/96
212,000 units sold
Free repairCall firm800–
10–810” Portable Play Yards
between 1993 and 1996
541–0264
11/21/96
Draco “All Our Kids” (models 742 and 762)
Portable Cribs/Play Yards
13,000 units sold
between 1992 and 1995
Stop use and destroy(Firm
out of business)
1/1/95
Baby Trend “Home and Roam” and “Baby
Express,” Portable Cribs/Play Pens,
2/17/93
11,600 units sold
between 1990 and 1992
$60 refundCall firm800-
453-7673
100,000 units sold
between 1992 and 1994
Free repairCall firm800–
328-7363
• Calling the CPSC hotline or writing to CPSC, Washington, DC 20207.
• Return product registration or warranty cards so manufacturers can reach you directly
if there is a recall.
Send the link for this page to a friend! The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with
protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of
216 Supplemental Case 3: The Playskool Travel–Lite Crib
consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $700 billion annually. The CPSC is committed to
protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical
hazard or can injure children. The CPSC’s work to ensure the safety of consumer products – such as
Supplemental Case 3: The Playskool Travel-Lite Crib 217
PART C
In the early 1990s, Thomas Koltun was being groomed to take over Kolcraft Enterprises, his father’s
Chicago-based company. A manufacturer of juvenile products, Kolcraft had been started by Thomas’
Kolcraft had initially been optimistic about the crib, introduced in January 1990. The company believed
that the well-known Playskool name would bring consumer attention to the product. They also believed
that the portability of the crib—it could fit into the trunk of a car—would provide a useful solution for
various situations parents would encounter. But the crib did not sell well, and by April 1992, when it
stopped shipping, only about 11,600 of the cribs, models 77101 and 77103, had been sold.
Travel-Lite, he was already looking past the product toward the company’s future. “I was involved
somewhat,” he put it simply. “The product wasn’t selling, so it was time to move on to another
product.”45
Further Travel-Lite History
On July 12, 1995, while the recall of the Travel-Lite was still active, a ten-month-old boy in
83.
44. Linda Ginzel, as independent administrator of the estate of Daniel Keysar, deceased, and on behalf of Boaz Keysar, Ely
45. Deposition of Thomas Koltun, 5/31/2000, p. 8.
218 Supplemental Case 3: The Playskool Travel–Lite Crib
By June 1996, of the 11,600 sold, 2,736 Travel-Lites could be accounted for. Noting that the returns
had stopped, and that there had been no recent injury or death reports, the CPSC closed its case. The
status of 76 percent of the cribs remained unknown.46
Kids in Danger—And a Lawsuit
In mid-1995, a Travel-Lite crib found its way into a childcare home in Chicago—the third owner of that
particular Travel-Lite. The provider set up, used, and took down the crib each day she was open for
business, from the time she received it until May 1998. During naptime on May 12, 1998, 16-month-old
Ginzel and Keysar felt they had to take action, and created a nonprofit organization, Kids In Danger
(KID), whose mission would be to promote the development of safer children’s products, advocate for
legislative and regulatory strategy for children’s product safety, and educate the public, especially
parents and caregivers, about dangerous children’s products. The organization started a Web site,
Kolcraft’s actions.49
On June 18, 1998—the same day the CPSC issued a press release headlined, “CPSC Urges Search for
Previously Recalled Portable Cribs and Play Yards”—Linda Ginzel and Boaz Keysar filed suit against
Kolcraft and Hasbro, seeking damages for their negligence in bringing the Travel-Lite to market. The
suit alleged that not only was the product unreasonably dangerous, but that Kolcraft and Hasbro had
47. T. Koltun, p. 56.
49. Ibid., pp. 47–48.
50. Case materials from #98L7063.
Supplemental Case 3: The Playskool Travel-Lite Crib 219
killed Danny Keysar, shown in the collapsed position by Dan Webb, one of the plaintiff’s co-counsels
and a former U.S. attorney.51
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The author wishes to thank a number of individuals who gave generously of their time and expertise
during the creation of this case.
Numerous faculty members, Ph.D. candidates, and MBA students from the Graduate School of
Business at the University of Chicago attended several brown bag seminars to critique drafts of the case
study. Their input was extremely helpful, as was the help of various experts from around the nation. I
thank all those listed here and apologize to those whose names do not appear: Robert Adler, Holly Burt,
Jonathan Eig, Howard Haas, Josh Klayman, Richard Larrick, Harold J. Leavitt, Carmen Marti, Cade
Massey, David Messick, Sharon Peck, Megan Rostan, Caroline Schoenberger, George Wu, and Jeff
Zivan.
Mary Abowd provided extensive research and expert fact-checking on the entire case, Patricia LaMalfa
served as a tireless editor and proofreader, and Abhijit Bhalla helped to create the final version of the
document.
52. Mitch Lipka, ibid.