WeePOD Basix Lawsuit Filed after Toddler Suffers Potty Trainer Injury

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Target Corporation and Prince Lionheart, which makes the WeePOD Basix potty trainer, are facing a lawsuit filed by a California family who claims their 3-year-old boy’s genitals were nearly dismembered by the potty trainer.

According to the WeePOD Basix lawsuit, the boy’s penis stuck to the squishy polypropylene potty trainer when he used the device in June, causing the organ to be nearly dismembered. The family rushed the injured child to the emergency room to have his penis glued back on.

The plaintiffs claim that the WeePOD was marketed and sold by Target as safe despite its alleged awareness of other complaints that have been made about the potty trainer since 2015.

The attorneys representing the plaintiffs assert that Target and Prince Lionheart had a duty of care to manufacture and sell a safe product, and that the companies should have issued a warning and recall of the product.

“Target and Prince Lionheart knew there were problems with this defective potty-training device, knew of prior complaints but refused to take the product off the shelf. They had a duty to warn customers about the dangers of their WeePOD product,” attorney John Kristensen said. “Their failure to do so was reckless and led directly to the mutilation of my client.”

Kristensen says it is not yet clear if the boy will ever be able to function normally after the injury.

This is not the first genital injury to be blamed on the WeePOD. In 2015, a boy’s penis was allegedly cut by the sharp bottom edge of the potty training device.

“People go to Target assuming the products they sell aren’t going to mutilate a toddler’s genitals,” Kristensen said. “This kid’s scarred for life.”

The WeePOD Basix potty trainer is available on Target’s website for $14.99.

Other consumers have complained that their children have developed severe rashes from the WeePOD potty trainer.

The WeePOD Basix class action lawsuit asserts claims for negligence, failure to warn/negligent recall, strict product liability and negligent infliction of emotional distress.

Target spokeswoman Jenna Reck said in a statement: “We take product safety incredibly seriously, are committed to providing safe products to our guests and require our vendors to follow all safety laws and CPSC [U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission] guidelines for the products they sell at Target.”

Prince Lionheart’s CEO Kelly McConnell said in a statement: “The safety of children is our number-one priority. All of our products are tested by third-party accredited testing houses and either meet or exceed all applicable domestic and international standards.”

The plaintiffs are seeking injunctive relief and unspecified damages.

The plaintiffs are represented by John Kristensen of Kristensen Weisberg LLP.

The WeePOD Basix Lawsuit was filed on Dec. 5, 2017 in Riverside County Superior Court.