About 9 percent of the 12,457 water fixtures in New York City schools that were found to have elevated lead levels about two years ago, still do not meet state standards after efforts were made to address the issue. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, this means that 1,165 fixtures still need to be fixed including 435 that are used for cooking and drinking that were taken offline immediately due to the danger of lead poisoning. Officials also said outlets used only as cleaning sinks may now be used, but must have warning signs posted saying that the water from them is not for drinking.
Ongoing Remediation Process
The city has replaced a number of fixtures as well as the pipes leading to them and taken other steps such as instituting a weekly flushing protocol to prevent a buildup of lead in standing water. The city’s results are from tests conducted in the 2016-2017 school year and tests repeated again the following year after repair efforts were made of fixtures that initially showed elevated lead levels. City Department of Education officials said 99 percent of the roughly 142,000 drinking water fixtures in the city’s public schools tested at or below the state action level of 15 parts per billion.
A number of school districts in New York City and across the country have struggled to address the issue of elevated lead levels in their drinking water. In a majority of cases, the issues stem from old or outdated pipes. The office of the New York City Schools Chancellor said they would retest all fixtures over the next three years with the first third completed before January. They have also promised to notify all families whose schools were undergoing the remediation.
City’s Issues with Lead Paint Exposure
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is simply no safe level of lead for blood in children. Young children face the most danger from exposure to lead because their growing bodies are more prone to harm and also children absorb lead more easily than do adults’ bodies. Pregnant women and women of childbearing age should avoid exposure to lead because lead ingested by a mother can affect the unborn child.
In June, New York City officials admitted that hundreds of children under 5 living in New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) apartments or The Projects, had tested positive for elevated lead levels. The housing agency was placed under a federal-monitor program after an investigation by federal authorities showed major health violations including lead paint exposure.
In the United States, lead-based paint is the leading cause of lead poisoning in children. It was not until the late 1970s that the U.S. government prohibited the use of lead paint in construction. This is why children who live in older homes are at a greater risk for lead poisoning. Children in particular are susceptible to a number of lead-related health issues including decreased bone and muscle growth, poor muscle coordination, damage to the kidneys and nervous system, hearing issues, speech and language problems and developmental delays, etc.
Contacting a Lead Poisoning Injury Lawyer
If your child has lead poisoning because your landlord was in violation of lead paint standards or as a result of drinking water from uninspected or unrepaired old fixtures, you may be able to recover compensation on behalf of your child by filing a premises liability claim. If your child’s school failed to repair fixtures and your child tests positive for elevated lead levels, you may be able to hold the school district liable as well. You may be able to seek compensation for damages including medical expenses, cost of diagnostic tests, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, loss of earnings, and loss of earning capacity, etc.
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.
Other TOLL FREE 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: https://www.wsj.com/articles/nine-percent-of-fixtures-that-showed-elevated-lead-still-having-problems-in-nyc-schools-1536698021