Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards Asks President Bush to Protect Children From Dangerous Toys Following Mattel’s Toy Recall
Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards has written a letter to U.S. President George Bush asking him for better toy testing and stronger measures to keep dangerous toys that are made in China outside the American consumer market.
The former North Carolina Senator’s plea came on Wednesday, one day after toymaker Mattel recalled over 18.2 million toys, many of them made in China. The product recall consists of toys with small magnets that could easily fall off and be swallowed by children. Over 400,000 of the other toys that were recalled were die-cast car toys that were made with unacceptable amount of lead paint.
The recall also includes a number of Barbie toys, Batman toys, Doggie Day Care toys, and Polly Pocket toys. Mattel is the number #1 manufacturer of toys.
In another recall earlier this month, Mattel recalled more toys that were made in China because of reports of dangerous lead paint. Sesame Street and Dora The Explorer toys from Mattel’s Fisher-Price unit were among the toys recalled.
In a press release issued on Wednesday, Senator Edwards cited other instances this year when products made in China had to be recalled—a number of them involved dangerous toys.
August 2007: Mattel recalls 9 million Chinese-made toys because of toxic levels of lead paint and dangerous magnets.
July 2007: Fisher-Price recalls 967,000 plastic pre-school toys tainted with high levels of lead, made by a Chinese vendor.
June 2007: Approximately 900,000 tubes of Chinese toothpaste containing a poison used in some antifreeze products
June 2007: As many as 450,000 tires made in China were recalled after evidence that they could be subject to tread separation-- a problem that led to the nation's largest tire recall in 2000.
June 2007: The FDA issued an alert challenging imports of farm- raised seafood from China, after testing repeatedly found contamination from carcinogens and antibiotics.
June 2007: 1.5 million "Thomas & Friends" made in China are recalled because of toxic lead surface paint.
May 2007: A Chicago Tribune analysis of all lead recalls in the past 30 years since lead paint was banned in the U.S. finds the vast majority of 133 recalls involved Chinese-manufactured products.
March 2007: An estimated 3,500 pets died after eating pet food contaminated with melamine in China
March 2007: 21,000 Sky Ranger toy airplanes made in China are recalled after at least 45 explode in the vicinity of children.
February 2007: Hasbro recalls 1 million Easy-Bake ovens made in China; 77 children report burns after getting hands or fingers stuck.
The U.S. Consumer and Product Safety Commission and the National SAFE KIDS Campaign offers a number of statistics and facts related to toy injuries.
• In 2004, at least 16 children (9 years of age and younger) sustained a fatal toy-related injury and died as a result.
• About 161,000 children (14 years of age and younger) had to go to the hospital because of an injury from a toy. Nearly 50% of these children were 4 years of age or younger.
• The number one cause of toy-related fatalities is choking.
• Suffocation, drowning, strangulation, and accidents involving a child riding a toy were the other main causes for toy-related fatalities.
• Most injuries involving toys take place around a child’s home.
• The head and face region are among the most common areas on the body where kids sustain injuries.
If your child is injured or killed because of a dangerous toy, you could have grounds to file a products liability claim or lawsuit against the negligent party or parties.
Edwards Calls on Bush, Congress to Keep Kids Toys Safe, Campaigns and Elections, August 15, 2007
Toy Injury Statistics and Incidence Rates, Cincinnati Children's
Related Web Resources:
Mattel Issues New Recall of Toys Made in China, New York Times, August 14, 2007
List of Toys in Mattel Recall, Forbes.com, August 14, 2007
In North Carolina and South Carolina, the Law Offices of Michael A. DeMayo LLP represents clients who have been injured in products liability cases and other accidents caused by another party’s negligence. We have successfully represented many clients in products liability cases, and we are here for you.
To schedule a FREE consultation, please contact us at 1-877-333-1000 and ask to speak with one of our product liability attorneys. You can also contact us online.
