Protect Your Child’s Health and Legal Rights
Water beads (also known as Orbeez, gel beads, or sensory beads) present a serious ingestion hazard to young children. These small polymer beads can expand up to 100 times their original size when exposed to moisture, causing severe internal injuries when swallowed. This comprehensive guide from Allen Carpenter PLC provides critical information on immediate medical steps, symptoms to monitor, and legal options if your child has ingested a water bead.
Watch: Attorney Brian Allen Explains What To Do if Your Child Swallowed a Water Bead
In this video: Our attorney explains the serious dangers of water beads, what to look for if your child may have swallowed one, and immediate steps to take to protect your child and preserve evidence for potential legal action.
Step 1: Seek Emergency Medical Attention Immediately
IMPORTANT: Call 911, the National Poison Help Line at 800-222-1222, or go to the nearest emergency room immediately if you suspect your child swallowed a water bead.
Water beads expand significantly when exposed to moisture, including saliva and stomach fluids. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), ingested water beads can continue to grow inside the body.
These expanding beads can cause:
- Intestinal blockages requiring surgical intervention
- Choking hazards and airway obstruction
- Severe abdominal pain, vomiting, and potential bowel perforation
Even if your child initially appears asymptomatic, be vigilant for delayed symptoms including:
- Abdominal pain, distension, or bloating
- Persistent vomiting or inability to keep food down
- Constipation or absence of bowel movements
- Lethargy, unusual behavior, or signs of discomfort
- Difficulty breathing if the bead causes airway obstruction
Step 2: Preserve Evidence — Secure Beads and Packaging
For potential legal claims, be sure to preserve:
- All remaining water beads (both dry and expanded)
- Original product packaging and containers
- Product inserts, instructions, and warning labels (or documentation of their absence)
- Purchase receipts or order confirmations
- Any marketing materials that accompanied the product
These items constitute critical evidence for establishing product liability or negligence claims if the water beads were defectively designed, manufactured, or inadequately labeled.
Step 3: Document Everything Thoroughly
Create a comprehensive chronological record including:
- Exact timeline of when and how the ingestion occurred
- When symptoms first appeared and how they progressed
- All emergency room visits, hospital admissions, and doctor consultations
- Medical records, discharge summaries, and physician instructions
- All expenses related to medical treatment and care
- Photographs of the product, packaging, and any warning labels
- Impact on your child’s daily activities and quality of life
This systematic documentation strengthens any potential legal claim by establishing causation and damages.
Step 4: Report the Incident to Regulatory Authorities
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) relies on consumer reports to identify dangerous products. Submit a detailed report at SaferProducts.gov including:
- Product information and manufacturer details
- Description of the incident and resulting injuries
- Medical documentation of treatment required
- Any product defects, design flaws, or inadequate warnings you observed
This formal reporting helps protect other children by alerting authorities to potentially dangerous products.
Step 5: Understand Your Legal Rights and Options
Many water bead products currently on the market have significant safety deficiencies, including:
- Inadequate or absent warnings about ingestion hazards
- Misleading age recommendations that understate risks
- Defective designs that make beads particularly attractive to young children
- False claims about product safety or non-toxicity
Manufacturers, distributors, and retailers (online and brick and mortar) may be legally responsible if:
- They failed to provide adequate warnings about known ingestion risks
- The product packaging falsely represented safety for children
- Marketing materials irresponsibly targeted young children
- Quality control failed to detect hazardous product characteristics
At Allen Carpenter, our attorneys thoroughly investigate:
- Manufacturer compliance with safety standards and regulations
- Retailer knowledge of product risks
- Product design, labeling, and marketing practices
- Similar reported injuries involving the same or similar products
- Potential violations of the Consumer Product Safety Act
Potential Compensation for Water Bead Injuries
Families affected by water bead injuries may be entitled to significant compensation for:
- Emergency medical expenses and hospitalization costs
- Surgical procedures and follow-up medical care
- Long-term treatment, therapy, or rehabilitation
- Emotional distress, pain, and suffering
- Lost wages for parents caring for injured children
- Permanent disability or impairment resulting from injuries
- Punitive damages in cases of egregious negligence
Learn More About the Dangers of Water Beads
As the popularity of water beads has increased, so have the number of water bead injury cases. To learn more about real-life cases and the impacts water bead ingestion has had on families across the country, visit That Water Bead Lady’s website for up-to-date information and resources.
Contact Allen Carpenter for a Free Case Review
If your child has suffered injuries from ingesting water beads, our experienced product liability attorneys can help you navigate this difficult situation. Our firm offers:
- Free, no-obligation initial consultations
- Comprehensive case evaluation by attorneys experienced in child injury litigation
- Access to medical and product safety experts
- Contingency fee representation (you pay no legal fees unless we win your case)
Call Allen Carpenter today at (480) 808-5075 to discuss your child’s case and explore your legal options for seeking justice and compensation.
About Allen Carpenter PLC
Allen Carpenter PLC is a premier Arizona-based personal injury law firm. Attorneys Brian Allen and Fletcher Carpenter have secured millions in compensation for clients in product liability cases, with particular expertise in injuries caused by dangerous children’s products.
Sources: Information from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Water Beads Information Center
Last Updated: May 15, 2025