Products Liability: Lead Paint And Toxic Toys | New York Dangerous Toy Attorney

This month we brought you the story of toy company RC2 Corporation, which was fined $1.25 million by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) after knowingly importing and selling children’s toys that contained dangerous levels of lead. In 2007, the Thomas and Friends train toys that the company sold were recalled as a defective product.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), lead is a serious health hazard, especially for children. Unfortunately, many foreign-made toys contain high levels of lead in their paint or their plastic. Antique toys may also contain high levels of lead. These lead toys may be dangerous if children put they toys in their mouths or if they touch the toys and then put their hands in their mouths.

Lead poisoning has no early symptoms. However, high levels of lead in the blood can lead to memory problems, vision problems, nervous system damage, kidney damage, and fertility problems. In children especially, lead poisoning can lead to hearing loss, attention problems, learning disabilities, lowered intelligence, and behavioral problems. Lead exposure may also lead to a higher risk of cancer.

Recently, studies have shown that even low levels of lead in the blood can lead to health and psychological problems in children. Because of this, the federal government has tightened its standards for the lead content of toys. Even in the last year, there have been a number of toy recalls based on lead poisoning risks. In November, the Center for Environmental Health tested 250 common children’s toys and found that seven of the products contained dangerous amounts of lead.