Twelve classrooms throughout the city were closed down on Friday, Dec. 6 over lead paint and lead poisoning concerns. According to a report in the New York Post, the rooms, in seven different buildings across four city boroughs, had been incorrectly categorized as not having lead-based paint in a prior audit and now required treatment, Department of Education officials said. The students were relocated to other spaces in their buildings and protective coats of paint were applied to the areas affected by lead paint.
Officials said they are conducting a thorough investigation to make sure this type of a mistake doesn’t occur again. The children are expected to return to their regular classrooms later in the week. Three of the buildings were in Brooklyn, two in Queens and one each in Manhattan and the Bronx. The city’s Department of Education has struggled to address the presence of lead in both painted surfaces and their water supply. Over the summer, the Department of Education found lead in more than 900 classrooms and remediated them before the start of this school year.
The Danger of Lead Paint
Just before school started in the fall, the city’s Department of Education inspected 5,408 preschool and kindergarten classrooms. However, this move only occurred after the public radio station WNYC found evidence of lead paint contamination in four public elementary schools. Also, for the first time, the department posted online a list of classrooms that require repairs and has said it would update this database three times a year. Child lead poisoning experts raised concerns about the department’s practices because it is difficult to say how long these classrooms had chipping and peeling lead paint, which is hazardous for young children.
Medical and scientific research has consistently shown that absorption of even very low levels of lead into the blood may have harmful health effects on the intellectual and behavioral development of infants and young children. Lead-based paint is a dangerous source of lead. Removing, repairing or disturbing lead paint through normal wear and tear may expose young children to serious health risks.
Even low levels of exposure to lead can cause health effects such as learning disabilities and behavioral problems in children. High levels of exposure to lead may cause lead poisoning and other issues such as anemia and impaired brain and nervous system functions. There is no safe level of lead exposure.
But, as lead exposure increases, the severity of the symptoms also increases. Toddlers and children tend to ingest lead because they frequently put their hands in their mouths or because of their tendency to chew on objects. Children also tend to absorb and retain more lead in their bodies compared to adults. In pregnant women, even low levels of lead can affect the growth of the developing child.
Protecting Your Rights
A victim who has been diagnosed with excess lead levels, regardless of whether it was from exposure in a public classroom or in public or private housing, may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit against the school, NYCHA (the Projects) or private landlords, etc. for damages. Those who have been affected can seek compensation for damages including medical expenses, cost of diagnostic tests, permanent injuries, lost income and benefits, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc. A knowledgeable 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 party/agency accountable for its negligence (carelessness).
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 policy of one million dollars. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
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://nypost.com/2019/12/06/kids-removed-from-12-city-classrooms-friday-over-lead-concerns/