Archive for October, 2009

Mattel Settles Landmark Class Action Lawsuit for Estimated $50 Million for Toys Tainted with Lead; Settlement to Include Quality Assurance Program to Ensure Product Safety

Thursday, October 15th, 2009

Fisher-Price and its parent company Mattel settled a 2007 class action lawsuit on Tuesday for 17 million recalled toys – the largest recall of children’s toys to date. Attorneys with the Florida-based class action law firm of Balkan & Patterson served on the class action’s executive committee and represented a member of the original class of 22 plaintiffs.

The initial settlement was filed in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Oct. 13, and will resolve the original suits filed against Mattel, Fisher-Price and large toy retailers behalf of millions of American children and families who purchased or received the defective toys as gifts before they were later recalled or removed from store shelves. The settlement amount has not been confirmed but was estimated to be around $50 million.

Mattel and Fisher-Price will be required to refund consumers who purchased or acquired the toys, provided the settlement is approved by the Court. Families who had to test their children for lead poisoning or exposure will also be reimbursed for the cost of testing. The settlement also includes the implementation of a quality assurance program within Mattel, which will be overseen by the Court. The quality assurance program will ensure that toys produced and distributed by Mattel and/or Fisher-Price are safe and free of any toxic materials.

To sign up to receive a payment or learn more about the settlement, visit www.MattelSettlement.com. A complete list of the affected toys is also available.

The main office of Florida trial attorneys Balkan & Patterson is located in Boca Raton, Florida, with a satellite office in Hollywood, Florida. They represent personal injury, auto accident, defective products, and consumer fraud clients throughout South Florida, including all of Palm Beach County, Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach, Lighthouse Point, Parkland, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, Broward County and throughout the United States. For more information, please visit www.balkanpatterson.com.

Boca Raton Law Firm Welcomes New Attorney Allison Lane to Legal Team to Represent Personal Injury and Auto Accident Clients in South Florida

Thursday, October 15th, 2009

Boca Raton, FL –Balkan & Patterson, LLP, a personal injury and class action law firm based in Boca Raton, is pleased to announce the addition of attorney Allison Lane to its legal team. Lane joins the firm as a skilled associate attorney and will serve personal injury, auto accident, class action and wrongful death clients in South Florida.

A graduate of the University of Florida Levin College of Law, Lane was accepted into The Florida Bar in 2007. To date, she has been practicing with a personal injury firm in Palm Beach County and has achieved a verdict in excess of $1 million. She will continue to represent auto accident, personal injury, class action and wrongful death clients at our Boca Raton and Hollywood locations. For more information about Lane, please click here.

The main office of Florida trial attorneys Balkan & Patterson is located in Boca Raton, Florida, with a satellite office in Hollywood, Florida. They represent personal injury, auto accident, defective products, and consumer fraud clients throughout South Florida, including all of Palm Beach County, Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach, Lighthouse Point, Parkland, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, Broward County and throughout the United States. For more information, please visit www.balkanpatterson.com.

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