A big thanks to China from U.S. lawyers

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At least one group is reportedly happy with the recent slew of reports on hazardous products flooding the U.S. market from China: trial lawyers.

Business Week reports that U.S. companies responsible for distributing faulty Chinese products to consumers are the latest target of American product liability attorneys. A lawyer at the firm Cohen, Hausfeld & Toll, who is considering bringing a suit against distributors of counterfeit Chinese glycerin that was responsible for killing hundreds of children in Panama when it found its way into cold medicine, had this to say:

Do people along the chain have responsibility for knowing where key ingredients are coming from? The answer you’re going to find in an era of globalization is ‘Yes.’

With all the poisonous toothpaste and toxic monkfish washing up on U.S. shores, it’s clear that China suffers from a deadly lack of quality management. So why not go after those ultimately responsible—negligent businesses in the Middle Kingdom? Business Week explains why that won’t be happening:

Don’t expect plaintiffs’ lawyers to make their way to China. They aren’t likely to bother with small, far-flung producers that can’t afford to pay big judgments.