Phthalates can affect the endocrine system of the human body. Upsetting the hormonal balance in this manner has been linked in medical studies with asthma and reproductive problems, especially in children. Boys are at high risk for inhibited development of the genitalia and testosterone production, which can have lifelong consequences. If your child was harmed by a defective toy, contact Kiley Law Group as soon as possible to preserve your rights to a settlement - 1-800-410-2769.

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Case Results

$ 3.5 million Settlement for
auto injury

Our eighteen-year-old client was driving on an interstate into the early morning sun. As he drove over a rise in the road, he struck a car that was disabled and stopped in the middle of the road because a 150-pound wheel and tire detached from a tractor-trailer rig traveling in the opposite direction. The lugs holding the tire had broken off, causing the tire and wheel to travel across the median strip, and hit and disable the stopped vehicle.
Awarded: $ 3.5 million

$1,000,000 Jury Verdict for
86 year-old woman

Our client an 86 year-old woman sustained an injury after being struck by a bus. The inattentive bus driver was warned by a passenger that the woman was crossing in front of the bus but could not stop in time to avoid impact.
Awarded: $1,000,000

$785,000 Settlement for
crushed ankle

Our client was operating his motorcycle on a two-lane road when a large box truck made a U-turn into his path of travel. The client attempted to avoid the collision by laying his motorcycle on its side. Unfortunately his lower leg and ankle came in contact with the truck causing seven fractures and soft tissue injury.
Awarded: $785,000

DISCLAIMER: Please note that every case is different and these verdicts and settlements, while accurate, do not represent what we may obtain for you in your case.

Lawsuits Keep Kids Safe from Defective Toys

Are Phthalates Dangerous?

In certain formulas and concentrations, phthalates affect the endocrine system of the human body. Upsetting the hormonal balance in this manner has been linked in medical studies with asthma and reproductive problems, especially in children. Boys are at high risk for inhibited development of the genitalia and testosterone production, which can have lifelong consequences.

Why Are Toys a Target?

Absorption of phthalates is increased by the type of close contact that happens when small children put toys or other objects in their mouths. This means that children are the largest risk group for phthalate contamination and long-term health concerns. Exposure to the compound while their bodies are maturing adds to grave health danger. The CPSC has worked to remove some toys known to be defective, but fallen short on an immediate total recall,

How Products Liability Watchdogs Fight Toxins

Clinical data studied by the Center for Disease Control and independent researchers proved the health threats of phthalates at the same that concern about lead poisoning was on the rise.

Consumer groups, legal advisory boards and health-care industry professionals helped to raise awareness about the problem and make it a priority with legislators. The process was relatively swift. The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 was enacted as law by President George W. Bush. It labeled minimum concentrations of lead and six formulas of phthalates as hazardous materials, with a ban set to be phased in beginning in February of 2009.

Some watchdog groups were concerned that the CPSC had agreed to the new phthalates standard for future manufactured goods, but not for the sale of existing merchandise. In December of 2008, Public Citizen and the Natural Resources Defense Council sued the CPSC over the discrepancy.

What is Being Done to Protect Consumers?

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with evaluating the latest scientific data in order to remove dangerous toys and other products from our store shelves.

Despite the urgency of health risks, sometimes it takes a lawsuit to hurry improvements along. Toys and child-care items enhanced with plastic stabilizers termed phthalates are a recent example. While the federal government has implemented a ban, it left loopholes allowing defective products to remain on shelves untouched until legal questions were raised.

What Are Phthalates?

Items such as shower curtains, vinyl upholstery, and, yes, toys, commonly contain phthalate additives to make plastic compounds more flexible. About 90% of all phthalates are added to polyvinyl chloride (PVC) to make the brittle plastic less prone to shattering.

If your child may have been harmed by a defective toy, contact an experienced products liability attorney at Kiley Law Group, LLP. We will evaluate your case for FREE - 1-800-410-2769.

The personal injury attorneys at The 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 & Salem, New Hampshire
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.

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.

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Kiley Law Group
342 North Main Street
P.O. Box 3040
Andover, MA 01810
Phone: 978-474-8670
Fax: 978.474.8946
Toll Free: 800-410-2769

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