Consumers Can Recieve Refund for Asbestos-Tainted Toys

Consumers who purchased asbestos-laden toys based on the hit television show “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” are now eligible for refunds. The toys were tainted with toxic asbestos, a mineral that is linked to the development of medical conditions like lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma. However, the company that developed the toys won’t be paying out a dime in refunds. Planet Toys Inc. is under bankruptcy protection under Chapter 7.

The company sought bankruptcy after a class action lawsuit was filed against Planet Toys back in May of 2008. The lawsuit was filed by parents who accused the CSI toys of containing deadly asbestos. Children playing with the special fingerprint powder included in the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Fingerprint Examination Kit and the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Forensic Lab Kit may have been exposed to toxic asbestos.

Planet Toys had been taking part in negotiations regarding a possible settlement to the lawsuit. However, because the company is protected by Chapter 7, they have ceased to be concerned with how the lawsuit plays out. The Chapter 7 bankruptcy code protects companies from lawsuits. Therefore, retailers who sold the toys will be the ones who must sacrifice their profits for the refunds.

The toys sold for about $30 apiece, according to attorney Victoria Ni, and it is unknown how many toys are still out there. Ni is with public interest law firm Public Justice, and represented the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization in the case. The ADAO commissioned the original study that identified asbestos in the CSI toys.

“We were really concerned when we learned about it,” she said of the contamination in an interview Tuesday. “This a popular toy….People know about the CSI trade name, and they’re buying these toys thinking it’s an educational toy.”