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Golomb
& Honik Files Class Action Lawsuit Against Mattel
Over Children's Exposure to Lead Paint. Richard
M. Golomb and Ruben Honik, filed a class action lawsuit
against Mattel, Inc. over Children's Exposure to Lead
Paint...
Fisher Price, a division of Mattel, Inc., issued a
series of recalls for several million toys in August
2007. The toys involved in the Fisher Price recall,
which were made in China, were manufactured with lead
paint. The Fisher Price recall included popular Sesame
Street, Dora the Explorer and Deigo toys. More than
80 different Fisher Price toys were involved in the
recall.
Mattel was aware of the lead paint contamination in
July, but the problem was not made public immediately.
The company said that the recall was “fast-tracked”,
and that most of the defective toys were quarantined
before they made it into stores. However, nearly a million
lead-tainted Mattel toys were shipped to stores, and
possibly into the hands of children. The Consumer Product
Safety Commission (CPSC) allowed Mattel to withhold
details of the recall so that stores would have time
to remove the toys from their shelves. Mattel also said
that the delay allowed the company to set up a consumer
hotline.
Lead exposure is especially dangerous for children
under 6 because they are still growing, and their brains
are developing. Small children often put toys in their
mouths, and sometimes inadvertently eat paint chips.
If lead is ingested, it can cause behavioral problems,
learning disabilities, seizures and even death. The
recalled Mattel toys contained lead-based paint.
The symptoms of lead poisoning often mimic other illnesses.
They include irritability; loss of appetite; weight
loss; sluggishness; abdominal pain; vomiting; constipation
and pallor from anemia. There are often no signs that
a child has been exposed to lead, and a blood test is
the only way to determine if someone is suffering from
lead poisoning. Mild cases of lead poisoning are treated
by ending the lead exposure and having the patient submit
to follow-up blood tests. A treatment called Chelation
Therapy is used when children test positive for high
levels of lead in their blood.
Lead has been virtually banned from the US since the
1980s. Under current regulations, children’s products
with more than 0.6 percent lead accessible to the user
are subject to recall.
On August 1, 2007, Mattel announced that the company
was recalling millions of its toys that were produced
using lead paint. On August 14, 2007, Mattel expanded
the recall due to lead paint, including additional toys.
Mattel requested that retailers remove all of the toys
recalled on August 1, 2007 and August 14, 2007 (collectively,
the "Recalled Toys") from store shelves, and
requested that consumers take the Recalled Toys away
from children immediately. Published reports indicate
that more than 10 Million of the Defendant’s toys
have been recalled because they contained Lead Paint.
Golomb & Honik’s expertise in litigating
lead poisoning cases has been recognized by the legal
community throughout the United States.
The attorneys at Golomb & Honik, P.C., understand
that the toys involved in the Mattel recall can cause
devastating injuries to children. Our lawyers have represented
of victims of toxic exposures with compassion and success.
If a child you know has been exposed to a recalled Mattel
toy, they might have important legal rights. Please
fill out the Claim Form for a free case review by a
qualified attorney.
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