Calif. Sues Mattel, Others Over Toys Containing Lead

[RamboLiberal]

Source: ABC News

California Attorney General Jerry Brown on Monday sued 20 companies, including Mattel Inc. and Toys "R" Us, claiming they sold toys containing "unlawful quantities of lead."

The suit, filed in Alameda County Superior Court, alleges the companies knowingly exposed children to lead and failed to provide warning of the risk, which is required under the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, known as Proposition 65.

If the suit is successful, the companies could pay a $2,500 fine for each violation, according to the complaint.

A spokeswoman for El-Segundo-based Mattel said the company was expecting the action and already had implemented a system of checks to ensure its quality and safety standards weren't again violated. New Jersey-based Toys "R" Us did not immediately return calls seeking comment.


Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=3888039&page=1

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Good!

[Joanne98]

1. YAY!

[madmom]

2. E-GADS.... you mean it's not all walmarts fault???????

[KansDem]

3. Speaking of Mattel, did it ever apologize to the American people...

...for foisting its toxic toys off on us?

I know Mattel apologized to the Chinese government for giving it the "wrong specs" but what about us?

[Sister_In_Law]

4. Bravo, California!

I was hoping there was a lawsuit in the offing.

Normally, my response to such corporate crap would be to boycott, but I've refused to buy Chinese made toys for years, anyway. I look at my two little grand-daughters and can't justify buying something that gives them pleasure at the expense of some other little girls' life of sweat-shop pain.

It's tough to find American made toys, but you can do it if you look.

[atreides1]

5. Going after the retailers creates problems

I can understand going after the manufacturers, but why the retailer? Did T"R"U have anything whatsoever to do with the making of the toys, not that I'm aware of. Did they have any kind of prior knowledge that the toys contained harmful levels of lead or other toxic materials, were they privy to corporate information?



If that's the case then the next time a car maker sells a piece of crap, then why not sue the dealership that sold it, as well as the car maker?

[Heywood J]

6. For those that may not know, El Segundo is

immediately (as in a matter of blocks) south of LAX airport (Map)

Generally, it's import/export companies that have headquarters around airports and ocean cargo ports, especially in LA - their warehouse is close to the port that way. In my experience, companies that manufacture goods usually have their headquarters in the town they were founded in, the nearest major city to that town, near their factory, or the city where they do the most business. Somewhere with significance to them.

With those two things in mind, that begs the question as to whether Mattel actually manufactures anything anymore, or whether they're now just a middleman import firm that rebadges Chinese toys and trades on reputation. I would be curious as to the extent of their domestic operations.