Lead Paint Poisoning Doesn’t Discriminate
The notion that lead poisoning is a danger that affects primarily people from low-income communities is a belief that cannot be substantiated due to statistics that prove otherwise. As Richard Goldberg, an experienced Brooklyn lead poisoning attorney pointed out, “Lead poisoning doesn’t discriminate…it doesn’t care what color you are, how old you are, or how wealthy you are. All it cares about is slowly killing you or your loved ones.”
Occupational exposure is a common cause of lead poisoning in adults. According to estimates made by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), more than 3 million workers in the United States are potentially exposed to lead in the workplace.
Children are especially susceptible. At the end of 2012, over half a million children in the U.S. were estimated to have harmful levels of lead in their bodies, according to the CDC. The primary method of exposure is by young children living in apartments or houses where paint chips have fallen to the floor. Toddlers have the habit of picking things up & putting them in their mouths. Unfortunately, these lead paint chips have a sweet taste that will lead the child to consume more, thus children in older housing with chipping paint or lead dust from moveable window frames with lead paint, are at greater risk.
Prevention of lead exposure can range from individual efforts (e.g. removing lead-containing items such as piping or blinds from the home) to nationwide policies (e.g. laws that ban lead in products, reduce allowable levels in water or soil, or provide for cleanup and mitigation of contaminated soil, etc.).
The Effects of Lead Poisoning
The effects of lead poisoning in children can be devastating including damage to the brain that affects children’s ability to learn, concentrate, speak & think clearly. Lead disrupts a variety of body processes and is toxic to many organs and tissues including the heart, bones, intestines, kidneys, and reproductive and nervous systems. It interferes with the development of the nervous system and is therefore particularly toxic to children, causing potentially permanent learning and behavior disorders. Symptoms include abdominal pain, confusion, headache, anemia, irritability, and in severe cases seizures, coma, and death. It can also cause life long damage that may be irreversible.
Generally speaking, the presence of lead in an adult’s blood above a 10 level is sufficient to cause significant damage to their central nervous system. In children, the level is one half of that, the number is set at 5 (µg/dl) of blood as of 2012. In fact, there is no safe level for lead exposure—that is, there is no known amount of lead that is too small to cause the body harm. Despite this alarming statistic, the U.S. Congress has drastically reduced or entirely eliminated funding for federally supported lead poisoning prevention programs on a nationwide level.
Areas where Lead Poisoning is Prevalent and What’s Being Done to Prevent it
Besides the most prevalent source being houses that have older lead-based paint, primarily built before 1972, the second-largest source of exposure is to factory workers in industries where lead or lead-based products were used or processed. USA Today did a highly detailed in-depth analysis of lead contaminants and exposure risks in factories, called “Ghost Factories,” that reveals the potential for lead poisoning that still exists today from factory sites that have been closed or abandoned for decades, and how the effects of exposure leave a legacy of devastation.
While the main focal point of lead-poisoning awareness campaigns still direct their attentions toward low income and multi-ethnic families that are on federal assistance programs such as WIC, these media drives need to broaden their target audience significantly to include everyone who may be living in buildings constructed before 1972,
The Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992 was passed into law to protect consumers from purchasing homes that may contain lead-based paint without a full disclosure statement from the seller. Additionally, renters have a right to live in a habitable domicile free of health hazards and safety risks. And lastly, other local or state laws may be enacted where you live to protect you from lead contaminants in your water supply, home, or other consumer-use commodities.
Contact a New York Lead Poisoning Attorney Today
If you or a loved one has been affected by lead poisoning, take steps to ensure that those responsible are held accountable for their actions or inaction and contact a lead poisoning attorney immediately. For over 30 years, the experienced lead paint poisoning lawyers at Peters, Berger, Koshel & Goldberg P.C. have been successful in obtaining justice and full and fair financial compensation for lead paint poisoning victims and their families.
Call them today at 718-596-7800 for a Free Consultation. They are located at 26 Court St., Brooklyn N.Y. Suite 2803, opposite Brooklyn Supreme court.
They are dedicated to protecting the rights of those injured through another person’s, company’s, businesses or municipality’s negligence or failure to correct a hazardous condition. They are only paid when they recover money for your injuries. They have helped many victims of lead paint poisoning obtain justice and full and fair financial compensation and are available to help you and your family. Contact PBKG Lawyers and talk to a Brooklyn & Bronx lead paint poisoning lawyer today.