A Connecticut woman says her four-year-old daughter spent three days in the hospital because of a severe reaction to formaldehyde fumes given off by a new bedroom set.
"I was at the end of my rope," said Gena Stefan of Milford. She has filed a class-action suit against Kids Bedtime Furniture of Milford and distributor P.J. Kids LLC of New Jersey.
The suit seeks an injunction to have Kids Bedtime stop selling the bedroom sets immediately and to force P.J. Kids to stop manufacturing/distributing/selling the furniture that is made overseas.
Additionally, the suit seeks to have the furniture tested, labeled with suitable warnings of potential hazards, and to require the defendants to create a plan of relief for persons who purchased the furniture.
"Money is not the motivation," attorney David Slossberg said. "The motivation is public awareness to get the information out to parents and to get kids out of harm's way. As a parent the one place you want your child to be safe is in the bedroom."
Slossberg also said he hopes to investigate whether the alleged illnesses are isolated incidents or an industrywide issue concerning use of formaldehyde in bedroom sets.
The lawsuit contends that, beginning in September 2002, Nicole Stefan experienced respiratory difficulties, eye inflammation, skin rash, joint pain, fluid in her joints, and autoimmune disorders that led to her hospitalization.
Toxicologists from the University of Connecticut tested air quality in Nicoles room and tested her furniture, including the bed and drawer, and found unsafe levels of formaldehyde.
The claim alleges the company failed to warn the products are made with formaldehyde, which is a known carcinogen at some levels, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Nicole, now 5, is feeling much better, but still suffers the effects of the formaldehyde poison, Stefan said.
