Massachusetts Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

Dangerous Toys Pose Toxin Risk to Kids

Why is lead a concern in toys?

The U.S. government is strengthening its requirements for permissible lead levels in all products offered for sale, but putting the plan into effect will take a few years. Children who ingest or absorb lead are at risk right now, due to the more vulnerable state of their developing bodies. The human body cannot release lead, which gradually builds up in soft and hard tissue. The effects on children, who are mentally and physically maturing, can be devastating.

Children with certain amounts of lead exposure may develop:

• Anemia
  
• Stunted growth
  
• Learning disabilities
  
• Nerve or kidney damage
  
• Speech or behavioral problems
  
  

The new U.S. safety standards for lead will still fall short of longstanding European guidelines, which are considered the safest and most stringent on the market.

What are the risks of phthalates in toys?

Along with Bisphenol A, phthalates have also recently been labeled hazardous materials by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), but again, removing them from stores that may stockpile products will take some time. Recent clinical studies prompted by products liability lawsuits report serious health threats to children exposed to phthalates.

Phthalates are chemical additives to polyvinyl chloride (PVC), itself a known carcinogen, to make the hard plastic more flexible and moldable. They have been linked to reproductive disorders in boys, as well as asthma. Several formulas of phthalates commonly used in children's products will be banned from manufacture over the next few years, but not necessarily from sale. To find out about which products are recalled and which remain in circulation, visit the CPSC Website.

If you are concerned that your child may have been injured by a defective product, contact an experienced product liability attorney. We will evaluate your case for FREE. Call 1-800-410-2769 today!

Massachusetts personal injury lawyer, Thomas M. Kiley, is a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association and is a respected member of the American Association for Justice and the Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys.

The personal injury attorneys at the Law Office of Kiley Law Group are dedicated to helping the victims of:

• Car, motorcycle, truck, van or bus accident
• Single vehicle accidents such as SUV or 15-passenger van rollovers
• Pedestrian accidents such as a hit and run
• Defective products such as ineffective airbags or seatbelts, prescription drugs with unpublicized side-effects, or hazardous children's toys
• Child injury and child abuse such as negligence
• Birth injuries such as trauma during labor or cerebral palsy

We Serve Clients Across the State of Massachusetts
The firm's headquarters are in Andover, MA and serves the following cities in Massachusetts: Boston, Danvers, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell, Methuen, Middleton, Reading, and Salem, MA and Salem, New Hampshire.