RC2 settles class action lawsuit from tainted Thomas trains

RC2 announced a settlement of $30 million for its lead tainted trains and accessories. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the settlement includes new quality controls to prevent future infractions, $2 million to plaintiffs' attorneys and $5,000 to five plaintiffs, as well as a $100,000 donation to a nonprofit organization. The bulk of the settlement seems to cover refunds or replacement toys along with a 'bonus' toy. The corrective action plan for the recall included only replacements and bonus toys; offering a full refund is new to the settlement. Kids In Danger believes that refunds should always be an option for children's product recalls.

2008: A year of safer children's products?

Lead-tainted toy trains, drug-laced craft sets, collapsing cribs -- it is no wonder the nation turned its attention to children's product safety in 2007. Congress held hearings and drafted legislation. The 2008 spending bill recently signed by President Bush will increase funding to the beleaguered US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Legislation pending in the House and Senate will also require pre-market testing of children's products and toys and provide greater information to the public on safety hazards. But there is still much to be done -- beginning with the passage of the most comprehensive bill possible in Congress.

Start the year off right for safety and take these actions:

• Ask the US Senate to pass a strong consumer protection law for toys and children's products.
• Check your products at home to make sure you aren't using recalled products with your children. In particular, make sure your child's crib isn't one of the 13 recalls in the past three years, accounting for more than 1.1 million cribs -some subject to two or three recalls.
  
• Sign up for monthly email alerts from Kids In Danger and for email notification from CPSC when a product is recalled.