Lead Poisoning Attorney in New York Comments on Nationwide Recall of Thomas the Tank Engine Toys and Accessories

NEW YORK, NY (PRWEB) JUNE 20, 2007 - In a recall encompassing more than a million and a half toys, the RC2 Corporation has announced that it is removing from stores an array of its Thomas & Friends trains and accessories. The Thomas the Tank engine toys subject to this recall contain high level of lead paint which, if ingested, can neurologically impair a developing child.

Alan J. Konigsberg, a nationally recognized lead poisoning attorney in New York and partner at Levy Phillips & Konigsberg, LLP stated while most lead poisoning liability cases have involved landlords who are responsible for peeling lead paint in their tenants’ homes, the presence of lead-based paint in toys and costume jewelry marketed to children is also a widespread problem

According to a posting on a website devoted to this line of products, www.totallythomas.com, more than two dozen items are being recalled. Representatives of the RC2 Corporation have stated that Thomas the Tank engine toys which contain the code “AZ” or “WJ” are exempt from the recall.

“Parents should move any Thomas & Friends toys being recalled away from their children,” Mr. Konigsberg, a leading lead poising liability expert and lead poisoning attorney in New York, said. “Furthermore, if they suspect that their child might have been lead poisoned, they should promptly seek to get their child tested to determine if their child’s bloodstream contains elevated blood lead levels. Time is of the essence since the effects of lead-poisoning are long term and can significantly effect a child’s learning potential and motor coordination well beyond their entry into adulthood.”

For a child, even a small amount of lead-based paint is potentially hazardous if it begins to peel, chip, or otherwise generate dust. Because no amount of lead is safe in the body, a brief exposure to lead can yield significant adverse effects. Aside from learning difficulties, elevated levels of lead in the bloodstream are also associated with behavioral problems such as aggressiveness, destructiveness, and hyperactivity. Other symptoms include central nervous system damage, lack of appetite, sleeplessness, delayed reaction times, anemia, and impaired metabolism of Vitamin D.

The Center for Disease Control and the State and City of New York consider a child lead poisoned if they have 10 mg/dl of lead in the bloodstream.

For further information on the Thomas the Tank engine toys recall and lead poisoning liability, please visit lpklaw.com or contact Alan J. Konigsberg, leading lead poisoning attorney in New York, at (212) 605-6200 or akonigsberg@lpklaw.com .