Recently, consumers held their breath as the environmental health group GoodGuide announced that the extremely popular Zhu-Zhu toys were found to have high levels of tin and antimony in the toys.  Los Angeles personal inujry lawyers have been concerned about the safety of toys this holiday season, and this was an alarming announcement.  Retailers are having a tough time keeping up with the demand for Zhu-Zhu pets, which are robotic hamsters that are in huge demand.

GoodGuide conducted its own investigation to test the popular toy for toxins using a handheld X-ray fluorescent gun, which is unable to measure the amount of antimony accurately.  Antimony is often combined with other metals and can be used in pipe metal, batteries and animation.  It can be risky to health when concentration of more than 60 parts per million are found.  This announcement reminded California product liability lawyers as well as consumers of 2007, when an unusually high amount of children’s toys were found to have high lead content and were recalled.

Many people have already purchased the Zhu-Zhu toys as Christmas gifts, which lead the CPSC to quickly determine the safety of the popular toys.  They confirmed that the Zhu-Zhu does remain in compliance with the metal limits set by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, although they have not conducted their own tests on the toy as of yet.  Consumers are relieved, to say the least.

The testing standards used by GoodGuide and the CPSC are not the same, and GoodGuide may face scrutiny by the makers of Zhu-Zhu toys, Sepia.  GoodGuides warning is appreciated by California product liability lawyers, who know that the times we live in require an added level of caution.  Toy safety concerns have become a delicate issue, and federal regulators have been slammed because of their inability to clamp down on toys that are unsafe in time.  GoodGuide’s announcement concerning the findings of its own testing have caused the CPSC to delve deeper into the matter, and consumers to become more aware of the dangers toys can pose.

Parents should research the safety of toys they are considering purchasing by visiting the CPSC website to learn about recalled toys.  This site is updated frequently so that parents are aware of potentially dangerous toys and can avoid purchasing them for their children.

The Reeves Law Group has offices across California and is dedicated to representing personal injury victims, including victims of product liability.  Please contact us for a free consultation at (800) 644-8000.