The New York Times has reported consistently about a culture of deception at the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), which exposed numerous young residents to lead poisoning. Recent news articles have stated that the NYCHA has seemingly borrowed from the playbooks of the worst private landlords in their attempts to allegedly deceive inspectors and make it appear as if repairs and corrections were being carried out. The crisis surrounding the city’s public housing system was starkly outlined in a recent investigation and 80-page report by federal prosecutors. Earlier this month, the city agreed in a consent decree in Manhattan federal court to pay $1 billion over four years and an additional $200 million annually for the following six years. The settlement also calls for the appointment of a monitor to oversee the housing authority during the 10-year span of the agreement.
Complaints Shows Dire Conditions
The NYCHA is the largest public housing system in the nation and houses more than 400,000 tenants in about 325 developments, commonly known as “the projects,” many of which are deteriorating and falling apart because of lack of repairs and investment. While the city may be able to pass the buck to the federal government, which has ignored the plea for funding to fix these homes, the NYCHA is solely to blame for concealing residents’ exposure to lead because of its failure to safeguard residents from the hazards of living in old, poorly-maintained buildings.
The complaint issued by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District shows just how widely the city allegedly falsified compliance documents related to lead paint regulations. The report shows that between 2010 and 2016, at least 19 children were found with elevated levels of lead after exposure to chipping and peeling paint in the apartments. The city had falsely deemed these apartments “lead free,” it is claimed.
Risk of Lead Poisoning
Thousands of New Yorkers are still at risk. One child who had suffered lead poisoning was found living in a Brooklyn home where a hole in a kitchen wall revealed a burst pipe. City health officials also found an infestation of roaches in every room. The health department ordered the housing authority to conduct lead abatement. But the NYCHA conducted its own independent tests and found “contradictory and exonerating numbers.”
What’s worse, the federal investigation found that the housing authority for many years allegedly used all types of fraudulent practices to keep federal inspectors at bay. Some of the tricks NYCHA used, according to the report, were turning off water right before the inspectors arrived in order to hide leaks. Sometimes, holes would be plugged with newspaper and painted over to create the illusion that repairs were made. The housing authority would even hang signs saying “Danger: Do Not Enter” to prevent inspectors from going into a location where they might have found violations, the report stated. The above is what is alleged.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
If you live in the projects or public housing and if your child has been diagnosed with high blood lead levels, you may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit against the NYCHA. You may be able to seek compensation for damages including medical expenses, cost of diagnostic tests, loss of earnings, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc. An experienced New York City lead poisoning lawyer will be able to help you file the lawsuit and compile the evidence that is required to hold the agency accountable for its negligence.
Lead has severe and long-term health effects on young children who are exposed even to small levels. When lead enters the bloodstream, it damages the red blood cells and limits their ability to carry oxygen to the rest of the body. This could cause anemia. Long-term lead exposure in children may lead to kidney damage, hearing issues, cognitive problems, learning disabilities, decreased bone and muscle growth and other developmental delays. In cases where there is acute lead toxicity, children may suffer irreversible brain damage and seizures.
If your child has been affected by lead poisoning, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you. 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 insurance 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.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury and medical malpractice cases in New York, 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.
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Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/13/nyregion/new-york-citys-worst-landlord-it-might- be-the-city.html