Childproof Lighter

Shenango Valley, PA: (Jan-31-08) Gwendolyn Phillips and her grandson, Neil Williams, 19, both of Farrell, brought a lawsuit against Swedish Match, which is based in Stockholm with a North American office in Richmond, VA, after a fire took the lives of a mother and two of her sons. The suit stated that the fire occurred Nov. 20, 1993, when 2-year-old Jerome Campbell ignited linens with a Cricket lighter in the family's apartment in Shenango Park Apartments, Bolde Drive, Hermitage. Jerome had gotten the lighter from the purse of his mother, Robin Williams, 22, which he had pulled from the top of the refrigerator. Jerome, Williams and 3-year-old Alphonse Crawford died of smoke inhalation. Neil, Ms. Williams' son, who was 5 at the time, unsuccessfully tried to wake his mother, and was rescued by a neighbor, Karen Smith, who had seen him pounding on a window. He was treated at a hospital for smoke inhalation.

Gwendolyn Phillips, sued in 1995, acting on behalf of Neil and the estate of her daughter and grandsons. The court threw out claims of product liability, but left for trial claims of negligence. The suit alleged that the lighters should have been made with childproof features; something the manufacturer said could have been done. As part of a settlement reached, the butane lighter manufacturer has offered to pay $200,000 to settle the case, concluding twelve years of litigation. [SHARON HERALD: CHILDPROOF LIGHTER]

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Published on Feb-2-08