Is Your Family at Risk for Lead Paint Poisoning?

Homes that were built before 1960 have the most lead content in their paint. Lead can be present on any painted surface. However, it is most often found on windows, doors, railings, columns, porches and outside walls. Sometimes, surfaces that have been repainted may also have lawyers of lead paint under them. You can find out where lead paint in located in your home by conducting a lead inspection.
It is important you know whether you or your family is at risk for lead paint poisoning. Most children are poisoned by invisible lead dust that is released when lead paint peels, chips, or gets damaged. This toxic dust can find its way onto children’s toys, hands or into their mouths. Children can also be poisoned when they play in bare soil that has been contaminated by lead paint from outside walls. Often, scraping or sanding old lead-based paint during remodeling projects can also cause lead poisoning.
How Does Lead Affect Children?
Lead seriously and irreversibly damages a child’s brain causing long-term or even lifelong learning disabilities and behavior problems. Nearly one million children under the age of 6 in the United States suffer from lead poisoning. Children under age 6 are most at risk for lead poisoning. Also, the contamination and exposure to lead in the case of a pregnant woman can harm her unborn baby.
Keeping Your Home Safe
There are several steps you can take to make your home a healthy, lead-free zone:
• Check often for peeling or chipping paint and make sure that all damage is promptly fixed.
• When you work with older lead paint, such as during remodeling project, take safety precautions. Wet down the paint before you sand or scrape to control lead dust. Seal off the work area, cover furniture and wash the walls with soap and water.
• Keep your home free of lead dust. Clean floors and windowsills often with soap and water.
• Ensure that your children are washing their hands before eating, after playing outside and at bedtime.
• Watch where your children play. Do not let them play in bare soil. Look for areas with grass or safe coverings.
• Do test your child for lead. Ask your doctor or health department if your child should be tested for lead.
Compensation for Victims
If your child has been affected by lead poisoning, the experienced Lead Poisoning Attorney 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.
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: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention