Strengthening United States Consumer Product Safety

In recent months, millions of toys have been recalled from stores across America because the products violate basic safety standards. Shopping for young children has become increasingly difficult, because it often is impossible to tell which toys are safe and which are not. Some of the recalled products were covered in lead paint, built with deadly magnets, or coated in a substance similar to the “date rape” drug.

These dangerous toys should never have reached retail store shelves. However, recent Congressional investigations have revealed that the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is failing to protect the public from defective products.

When children are injured or killed by toxic toys or other products, their families encounter huge legal hurdles if they seek compensation for their losses. Over 70% of all toys now sold in this country were manufactured overseas, mostly in China. These products, although cheaper, receive minimal regulatory oversight. Additionally, foreign manufacturers have argued that they are not subject to jurisdiction in United States courts.

The U. S. Congress is working on legislation to secure the rights of American consumers against foreign manufacturing mistakes. Many lawmakers agree that foreign manufacturer should be legally accountable for non-compliance with U.S. safety standards. Both the House of Representatives and the Senate are boosting the CPSC’s annual budget, as well as increasing the standards of testing and certification before products can be sold.

Marketing defective products is not only dangerous, it is wrong. Injuries sustained by simple toys can be substantial, and in some cases fatal. We encourage the U.S. Congress to continue to put pressure on the CPSC, American importers, and foreign manufacturers to ensure the safety of our families.

At the Bernstein Law Firm, we have been protecting the legal rights of victims injured by defective products for over 40 years. If you or a loved one was injured by a defective product, we recommend that you contact an experienced product liability attorney immediately.