What is this world coming to when we cannot even rely on the safety of innocent toys for our kids? Things aren’t so innocent anymore; we read in the news more and more about toys being yanked off the shelves for causing serious harm or death.Think about it – lead paint on toys, poor design that causes a toy to malfunction and cause injuries, and magnets that could be swallowed. What a terrible litany of disasters. Imagine how a parent feels when they discover that a toy they thought was safe may cause a great deal of harm. What’s a parent to do when faced with a situation like this?If a toy you have given to your child turns out to be dangerous and causes harm, waste no time in speaking with a personal injury attorney. Attorneys who litigate in this area of the law know how frightening this kind of situation is for parents, and make it a point to explain what they are doing. In fact, many personal injury attorneys have children themselves and are able to empathize with their client’s fears.Aside from suing a manufacturer for a defective product (toy) the real question becomes what are some of these people thinking making products like this? For instance, the news is filled with stories about Mattel recalling millions of their toys because of product defects, poor design, and lead paint. Interestingly enough, although over 60% of their toys are made in China, Mattel said some of the flaws were their own responsibility.So what is going on that their factories are producing toys with serious design flaws? Things didn’t used to be that way. If you think back to when you were a kid, the toys were well made and durable. Today, the same thing can’t be said and it’s interesting on Christmas morning to see how long a toy will last.The most serious problem over the last few years hasn’t been design flaws so much as it has been excessive levels of lead found in hundreds of thousands of items. This seems to be just the tip of the iceberg, too. For instance, Fisher-Price pulled roughly one million Dora the Explorer and Sesame Street products for unsafe/toxic lead levels. Mattel and Disney have experienced similar recalls.Mattel seems to have had it the worst though as they were forced to recall over 345,000 action figures due to unsafe magnets that could be swallowed. If a child swallowed two, they’d stick together and require surgical removal.Hasbro had its day in the limelight when they recalled over one million Easy-Bake Ovens because kids were getting their fingers stuck in the oven’s opening. And the list goes on. If you think you have a toy that has been recalled, check to see if the product number is listed in the recall notice. When push comes to shove and you are not sure, toss it – better safe than sorry.If your child may have been exposed to high levels of lead, get them tested immediately. Take the time to speak to a personal injury attorney about the possibility of filing a defective product lawsuit as well. It may be time well spent.
