Overview
- Feldman Shepherd filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Hennepin County on July 9, 2026, on behalf of Taylor and Tyler Bethard, who say Target is legally responsible for the death of their daughter.
- Court filings say 10‑month‑old Esther Jo Bethard died on July 7, 2023, after swallowing a single super‑absorbent water bead that expanded inside her and caused a fatal intestinal obstruction.
- The complaint alleges Target received reports of life‑threatening incidents in August–November 2022, stopped selling the Chuckle & Roar kit in mid‑November 2022, but did not notify customers who already bought the product.
- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a nationwide recall of about 52,000 Chuckle & Roar Ultimate Water Beads Activity Kits on Sept. 14, 2023, and the Bethards now seek monetary damages and emotional distress relief.
- Water beads are super‑absorbent polymers that can grow hundreds to over a thousand times in liquid, pediatric and poison experts warn they can cause blockages, and recent safety rules now limit expansion and require labels.