If Stanley Tumbler’s lawsuit wins, millions could be owed in damages

The legal battle over lead in Stanley’s glasses is heating up.

Consumers in four states – California, Nevada, New York and Washington – have filed a proposed class action lawsuit against Pacific Market International (PMI), alleging that the Stanley brand’s parent company failed to disclose the presence of lead in its popular line of reusable drinkingware products, jeopardizing thus society at risk.

The plaintiffs had previously pursued separate legal actions, but a judge ruled the lawsuits should be consolidated into one case, a formal complaint the lawyers filed on Tuesday, June 18. In April, the court denied PMI’s motion to dismiss certain cases.

The lawsuit asks PMI to pay punitive damages and refund the amount consumers paid for the drinkware. The plaintiffs want that money to go to themselves and others who bought a lead-tainted Stanley glass — a “class,” to use the legal term, that, according to the consolidated complaint, “consists of hundreds of thousands, if not millions” of people .

The lawsuit also asks the court to prohibit PMI from selling Stanley drinkware until it stops using lead in its products. Additionally, the suing consumers want PMI to conduct an advertising campaign warning the public about the presence of lead and its alleged dangers.

After videos about Stanley’s lead-related concerns began circulating on social media, PMI reported in January that the material it uses to vacuum insulate the cups at the base contains some lead.

Previously, “PMI never disclosed that it manufactured lead cups,” the lawsuit states. “Instead, PMI systematically deceived consumers by omitting this fact in its advertising, displays and packaging.”

The suing consumers claim they would not have purchased the cookware if they had known about the lead, accusing PMI of violations of consumer protection laws, deceptive trade practices, omission fraud and more.

“Plaintiffs did not expect these cups to contain toxic metal,” the lawsuit says. “These cups are now worthless to them because they contain lead, and all plaintiffs have stopped using them for fear of lead exposure.”

PMI has previously assured that lead in its beverageware base does not pose a health risk. Some health experts say the risk of lead exposure from Stanley glasses is “virtually zero,” but the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has noted that the use of lead in the manufacturing process creates “a risk of lead exposure for consumers of these products, especially products intended for consumption.”

Excessive exposure to lead can cause adverse health effects ranging from cardiovascular problems and kidney damage to nervous system problems and slower growth/development in children.

PMI’s lawyers have not yet responded to the consolidated complaint with a formal legal statement.

Stanley mugs, which gained popularity largely thanks to female social media influencers, are very popular in the retail stores and promotional products industry. ASI Media has named Stanley Quencher the 2023 Branded Merchandise Product of the Year.