February 18th, 2008

A New York law office specializing in asbestos-related cases has taken up the fight against toys known to contain asbestos. The firm is criticizing companies that are still carrying toys shown to contain asbestos.

After the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization released independent studies showing levels of asbestos in home and garden items, as well as some hot holiday toys, it was promised by manufacturers that if the asbestos could be verified the items would be pulled from store shelves. The toys can still be found as holiday shoppers comb retailers, and are still available for purchase. One New York law firm that has handled numerous asbestos-related lawsuits thinks this is possibly negligent on the part of the stores and manufacturers parts.

Asbestos exposure has been known to cause mesothelioma, a type of deadly lung cancer. Breathing in asbestos particles even once can cause serious health concerns, making the continued availability of the toys a concern for some. Mesothelioma develops when asbestos particles are breathed into the lungs, where the particles become stuck and keep the lungs from absorbing oxygen. The onset of mesothelioma can take decades and is normally too advanced for treatment when diagnosed. The toy manufacturers stated that they are still waiting for their lab test results to come back.