Lawsuit asks Mattel to pay for lead testing on children

LOS ANGELES — A family sued Mattel on Monday, claiming the world's largest toy maker should pay for testing to determine if children have been exposed to lead from millions of recalled toys.

The lawsuit, which seeks class-action status, was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, said attorney Jeffrey Killino in Philadelphia.

The complaint was brought by Adrian and Michael Powell, of Fontana, Calif., on behalf of their children, Megan and Morgan. The couple claims Mattel was negligent and should establish a fund in an unspecified amount to pay for medical screening, such as blood tests, and other monitoring.

Children who ingest lead-laced paint can suffer brain damage, but no injuries have been reported as a result of the recalled toys.

A call to El Segundo-based Mattel was not immediately returned. The company previously said it had increased its monitoring of Chinese factories.

Last week, Mattel announced a worldwide recall of almost 19 million items, including dolls, cars and action figures. Some of the items were contaminated with lead paint. Others had small magnets that children might swallow.

That followed the company's previous recall of 1.5 million Chinese-made toys from its Fisher-Price unit because of possible lead-paint hazards.

Last week, Seattle law firm Keller Rohrback also filed a lawsuit seeking national class-action status against Mattel and Fisher-Price.

The suit, filed on behalf of three parents in Michigan and California who bought the toys for their children, seeks monetary damages, compensation for injuries and costs of treatment. It also asks that the court require companies to fund testing for children exposed to the toys and to certify on a monthly basis that their current and future products are lead-free.

Seattle Times staff reporter Carol Ostrom contributed to this report.