Personal Injury Lawyers in New York

The maker of 'Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway toys has agreed to pay $30 million to settle a nationwide class-action lawsuit by thousands of families who purchased lead-tainted products, a plaintiffs' attorney said Wednesday.

Under the deal, Oak Brook-based RC2 Brands will offer cash refunds or replacements toys, plus what the company calls a bonus toy; it also promises to implement new quality controls, said Jay Edelson, a plaintiffs' attorney in the case.

The lawsuit was filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois last year, and the court gave the settlement preliminary approval on Tuesday. The judge is expected to give final approval at a hearing set for May 6, Edelson said.

In June of last year, the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced that RC2 was voluntarily recalling about 1.5 million items in what would become the first of several major roundups involving lead paint on toys made in China. Children who ingest even small amounts of lead can suffer brain damage; large doses can kill.

The company, which had 2006 sales of about $500 million, has dropped its supplier, Hansheng Wood Products, which made the Toad pieces as well as the items in the first recall.

If your child has been sickened by the ingestion of lead in Long Island, Queens, Brooklyn, or the Bronx, New York, please contact the attorneys at Silberstein Awad & Miklos today to schedule your initial consultation.