U.S. lawyer suing Mattel over lead-painted toys

A Philadelphia attorney has filed a class-action lawsuit against Mattel Inc.to force the company to pay for testing of children who may have been exposed to lead-painted toys.

Jeffrey Killinohas fileda lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court to force Mattel to create a fund for concerned parents who want to have their children tested for symptoms of lead poisoning.

On Aug. 14, Mattel recalled 18.2 million Chinese-made magnetic toys and 436,000 toys with lead paint.

Lead is particularly toxic to children under the age of seven. Limited exposure can cause learning disabilities, brain damage, anemia, kidney disorders and hyperactivity, some of which may not be apparent until years after exposure.

Killino has some recent experience regarding Chinese-made products.

In June, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a recall for nearly half a million Chinese-made light truck tires after Killino filed a death and injury lawsuit on behalf of victims of a fatal crash caused by the tires.