CPSC Announced Recalls Of Defective Toys Due To Lead Paint. Today, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with S.U. Wholesale Inc., of Vernon, California, announced a voluntary recall of a number of defective toys – toy airplanes, cars and motorcycles – due to a violation of lead paint standards. The specific toys are the X Force Commander Toy Airplanes and Super Famous Toy Cars and Motorcycles. Consumers should immediately take the S.U. Wholesale X Force Commander Toy Airplanes and Super Famous Toy Cars and Motorcycles away from children and return to them to the store where purchased for a refund.
According to the CPSC, about 5,000 of the X Force Commander Toy Airplanes and Super Famous Toy Cars and Motorcycles where made in China, imported by S.U. Wholesale Inc., and sold at Dollar Stores nationwide from September 2006 through November 2007. The X Force Commander Toy Airplanes and Super Famous Toy Cars and Motorcycles retailed for about $1. Although no injuries or incidents have been reported, to date, the X Force Commander Toy Airplanes and Super Famous Toy Cars and Motorcycles contain excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard. The “X Force Commander” is a set of six plastic jet airplanes with item number 5689 printed on the front of the packaging. The airplanes are painted green, red, blue, silver, black, and yellow. The “Super Famous” is a set of a plastic toy cars and a motorcycle; the car is either yellow or red and the motorcycle is gray
Lead Exposure In Children Can Cause Brain Damage
Exposure to lead in children and unborn children can cause brain and nervous system damage, behavioral and learning problems, slowed growth, hearing problems, headaches, mental and physical retardation, and behavioral and other health problems. Lead is also known to cause cancer and reproductive harm and, in adults, lead can damage the nervous system. Last year, over six million toys were recalled because of lead; the highest number ever due to product defects; Mattel Inc. alone recalled twenty-one million toys. Lawsuits over lead in toys include cases with Fisher-Price; Michaels Stores; Sears, Roebuck and Co.; Costco Wholesale; Eveready Battery; KMart; and Marvel Entertainment for Ernie, Elmo, Big Bird, SpongeBob, and Thomas the Train products. Potentially dangerous toys remained on store shelves several times last year and by the time last year’s holiday season hit—the busiest time of year for toy companies—the CPSC had recalled 75 brands of toys; 39 due to lead exposure.
The furor over lead in toys also prompted California Attorney General Jerry Brown to sue 20 companies for selling toys with unlawful quantities of lead and failing to warn the public of health dangers. Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo joined the suit and additional suits were filed by the Center for Environmental Health, the Environmental Law Foundation, and As You Sow.
By late last year, the Chinese government signed agreements to help prevent lead-painted toys from reaching the U.S. and toys are reportedly undergoing more inspection and re-testing.
For additional information about the S.U. Wholesale X Force Commander Toy Airplanes and Super Famous Toy Cars and Motorcycles recall, contact S.U. Wholesale toll-free at (877) 580-8883 between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. PT Monday through Friday.
Need Legal Help Regarding Lead Paint?
The personal injury attorneys at Parker Waichman LLP offer free, no-obligation case evaluations. For more information, fill out our online contact form or call 1-800-YOURLAWYER (1-800-968-7529).
