Stanley Cups Faces Lawsuits Over Lead in Cups—Here’s What to Know

The popular Stanley Cup Tumbler maker is among the few companies that can truly speak of how a viral video on social media can change a company’s fortune. 

The cup first came into the market in 2016 but didn’t gain as much traction in sales until 2020, when a video of its fans receiving tumblers as gifts went viral on TikTok, pushing the demand to unprecedented levels. At the beginning of this year, a Stanley tumbler was going at $45, and this is if you find one, as its demand has been so high the company hasn’t been able to meet it. 

Company Admission

Anything that receives much popularity and acceptance on the internet and the market will also attract scrutiny, and this was the case with the Stanley tumblers. Internet sleuths began claiming that the insulated tumblers contained lead. 

Some went ahead to dismantle the cup, run DIY tests, and post them on social media, prompting Pacific Market International, the Stanley Cup parent company, to admit that there were traces of lead in the tumbler but not on locations that could come into contact with the user and thus posed no risk. According to the company, the lead is in the industry standard sealing pellet and only contains trace amounts of lead.

The pellet is underneath the tumbler in between its layers, which ensures that a consumer cannot access it unless the cup’s outer or inner layer is damaged, which, according to the company, is highly unlikely. 

The Lawsuits

Four Californian women filed the initial lawsuit, claiming that the company padded its bottom line by failing to disclose the presence of the lead. Instead, it marketed the product as BPA-free and made of stainless steel, but it conveniently left out such critical details. 

In the class action lawsuits, the women want PMI to be compelled to refund its customers for tumblers purchased in the US for about $70 million. 

A similar class action lawsuit was filed in Washington state by a woman asking for $5,000, claiming that the tumblers will become hazardous to the users over time. While no trial date has been set for the lawsuits, Stanley has indicated plans to vigorously defend itself against what it claims is a meritless claim. 

A third lawsuit comes out of Nevada, which claims that the company ought to have come out clean about the presence of lead in their products to allow consumers to make a more informed decision. According to the litigant, leaving out the information was intentional to avoid the impact it would have on sales. 

What The Developments Mean for Stanley

“There have not been any confirmed cases of the cup use affecting users, so a personal injury claim may not have merit in this case. However, there could be some merit in financial loss claims as some customers may not have purchased the item if they had known it contained lead,” says Illinois personal injury lawyer Michael McCready. 

It is not yet clear how these new developments will affect cup sales, but there is a high chance the company will take a hit as most customers may not know how to handle this new information. 

Lead is incredibly toxic to children, with the WHO claiming that no amount of exposure to lead is safe for kids. With the company’s primary target being kids, some consumers feel that the company has exposed kids to unnecessary health risks. 

Also Read: Injured by Another? Your Guide to Filing a Personal Injury Claim