Housing Authority Pays $3.7 Million in Lead Poisoning Case

The Housing Authority of Baltimore City has paid $3.7 million to a former public housing resident who suffered lead poisoning as a young child in the 1980s. According to a news report in The Baltimore Sun, the payment to the plaintiff who is now 29 years old, marks the biggest step by the city’s housing authority to satisfy millions of dollars in lead paint judgments that have gone unpaid in recent years. So far, the housing agency has paid $4.6 million to satisfy four lead paint judgments.
What is Lead Poisoning?
Lead is a metal that may be present in the, air, water, soil, dust as well as in some products we use in and around our homes. Lead based paint can be found in a number of older buildings nationwide. Children are more susceptible to ingestion and lead poisoning as paint from the walls begins to chip off or when the particles are carried in the air. Lead poisoning is caused by swallowing or breathing in lead. Although it is entirely preventable, lead continues to be a major cause of poisoning among children. Lead can seriously harm a child’s growth, behavior and ability to learn. It can also cause irreversible brain damage. Children under 6 are particularly vulnerable to lead poisoning more than any other age group. Children get lead poisoning from breathing in or swallowing dust from old lead paint that gets on floors, radiators, windowsills, hands and toys. Lead can also be passed from mother to child during pregnancy.
Diagnosing Lead Poisoning
The most common test for lead is a blood test, which measures the amount of lead in a person’s bloodstream. There are seldom external symptoms of lead poisoning. New York State required health care providers to test all children for lead with a blood lead test at age 1 and again at 2 years. Until age 6, health care providers in New York are required to ask parents about any type of lead exposure with regard to their children. If there has been such exposure, providers must test for lead again. Parents can also ask their pediatrician or nurse if their child should get a lead test and how such tests should be interpreted.
Compensation for Victims
Any company or property owner who knowingly leaves lead paint on the walls or creates a product using lead may be considered negligent. If your child has suffered lead poisoning because of old house paint or some other product, you may have a case. Medical issues related to lead poisoning may require long-term treatment.
If your child has suffered lead paint poisoning, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys with the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options. Our firm recovered $1,162,500 for a child who suffered lead poisoning from paint in her apartment. The child’s injuries were subtle and difficult to recognize. We recovered $162,500 above the $1 million dollar total policy in this case. Despite the judge’s efforts to settle the case for $950,000, we fought hard and recovered $162,500 more than the insurance full policy of one million dollars.
If your child is suffering from the adverse effects of lead poisoning, please contact us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496) for a free and comprehensive consultation. We can also help with personal injury cases in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Source: The Baltimore Sun