Lead Poisoning
New York attorneys fight for those suffering with lead poisoning
In 2007, there were 1,970 reported cases of lead poisonings among children six months to six years of age in New York State. This figure represents a significant drop in documented cases since 2006, but the figure speaks to the need for legal advocacy for the many victims who are suffering now. Childhood lead poisoning occurs throughout New York City but is highest in Brooklyn. Even low levels of lead poisoning can cause learning and behavior problems.
Exposure to lead
Leaded gasoline and paint and lead pipes have been banned in the United States for many years, and exposure to other forms of lead is strictly regulated. Despite these bans and precautions, far too many children and adults continue to be exposed to dangerously high levels of lead.
New York state law requires landlords to inform their tenants when lead paint is present in a residence, submit to inspections, and remove lead paint in a safe manner when it is found. Unfortunately, these regulations are often ignored, because they require diligence on the part of the landlord or they involve additional expense.
Major sources of lead exposure in the United States include:
- Lead paint on buildings painted before 1978
- Soil in areas that once housed a gasoline tank
- Older consumer products made of lead
- Defective modern consumer products, including toys and jewelry, many imported
- Older lead pipes, work in mining, smelting, refining, or manufacturing and living near areas where such work is done
Victims of lead poisoning are protected in New York
If you suspect that you or a family member has lead poisoning, schedule a blood lead test immediately. If the results of the blood test confirm a lead level of ten micrograms per deciliter or higher, this is cause for concern and further investigation. A victim of toxic lead exposure in New York has the right to make a claim in New York via a lead poisoning lawsuit where compensation can be awarded for past and future medical bills, relocation, a lifelong disability or wrongful death.
