A new lawsuit has been filed against Shein US Services LLC, accusing the retailer of not disclosing the amount of lead in the soldering wire and fishing weights they sell. The suit alleges that this lack of disclosure is a violation of California's Prop 65 law.
The plaintiff, Jay Epps, identified only as a resident of California, claims that Shein has failed to warn consumers about the health risks associated with exposure to lead present in certain products sold throughout California. The lawsuit states that lead is found at elevated levels in soldering wire and fishing weights that Shein manufactures, imports, distributes, retails or otherwise markets.
According to the complaint, most if not all sales of these products were transacted through the website Shein.com. Under Prop 65, businesses are required to provide warnings about significant exposures to chemicals that California state officials have claimed cause cancer or reproductive harm, even if the chemicals are not present at levels federal regulators and other scientists agree actually can be considered harmful.
Epps seeks preliminary and permanent injunctive relief to compel Shein to provide purchasers and users of the products with the required Prop 65 warning regarding specific health hazards associated with exposures to lead.
Epps is represented in the action by attorney Clifford A. Chanler, of Chanler LLC, of New Canaan, Connecticut; and attorney Steven Y. Chen, of Rosemead.
The lawsuit was filed Jan. 12 in San Francisco County Superior Court.