ADAO Sues CBS Corp, Planet Toys

The CSI Fingerprint Examination Kit is at the center of a legal dispute.

Late last year, CSI Files reported that tests run by the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) detected the presence of asbestos in the CSI Fingerprint Examination Kit. CBS Consumer Products then did their own tests to check for asbestos in the toy. The information from both groups was given to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission so that they could determine whether or not to issue a national recall.

This past Friday, ADAO filed a lawsuit against CBS Corp, Planet Toys and several retailers. According to the group, laboratory tests determined that the CSI Fingerprint Examination Kit contained "substantial quantities of tremolite asbestos ... one of the most lethal forms of asbestos." Planet Toys took the kits off store shelves last year, but the manufacturer said multiple tests had not found any sign of asbestos in the toy.

ADAO claims that the defendants failed to warn consumers about the health risk. They are aiming to have a court order filed that prevents the kits from being sold without a warning label attached, and they also want consumers to be able to obtain a full refund if they have already purchased the kits. A spokesman for CBS Consumer Products cited that the tests run by Planet Toys and major retailers had found no evidence of asbestos in the toy. "Nevertheless, out of an abundance of caution, three months ago we demanded that Planet Toys issue an immediate recall of the product," he continued. The spokesman would not comment on the specifics of the lawsuit.

The original article is from Reuters.

Discuss this news item at Talk CSI!
 Add CSI Files RSS feed to your news reader or My Yahoo!
Also a Desperate Housewives fan? Then visit GetDesperate.com!