A group of residents from Queensbridge Houses in Queens is suing the New York City Housing Authority or NYCHA for allegedly failing to repair dangerous living conditions including lead paint, asbestos, mold etc. inside their apartments in the housing development. According to a report in the Sunny Side Post, eleven tenants have filed a lawsuit in Queens Housing Court to force NYCHA (the Projects) to fix these long-standing problems and are seeking unspecified damages as well.
Dangerous Conditions
The residents allege that NYCHA (the Projects) has failed to make urgent repairs in spite of numerous work requests filed over several years. Among the most serious issues residents say they face are lead paint, which significantly increases the risk of lead poisoning, mold, asbestos (a known carcinogen), leaks, holes in walls and vermin infestations.
Several residents alleged that they would schedule appointments with NYCHA (the Projects) for repairs, but the agency would be a no-show. Queensbridge residents say these problems became more pronounced during the coronavirus pandemic when the statewide lockdowns forced them to remain at home in allegedly squalid and dangerous conditions.
Since children were staying home all day as well, their exposure to dangers such as lead paint also increased particularly when lead testing was at an all-time low, also due to the pandemic. Many Queensbridge residents are people of color and essential workers, two vulnerable groups that have experienced significant health challenges and complications during the COVID-19 crisis. The residents are hopeful that their action against NYCHA (the Projects) will force the agency to make long-needed repairs including lead paint repairs.
Queensbridge Houses
Queensbridge Houses, also known as Queensbridge, is a public housing development in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens. The development contains 96 buildings and 3,142 units housing about 7,000 people in two separate complexes. Built in 1939, Queensbridge is the largest housing project in North America. This project is home to a mostly Black and Latino population with a median household income of $15,843, well below the federal poverty line for a family of four.
In late 2020, city officials acknowledged for the first time that there are 9,000 apartments that likely contain lead paint where children the age of 6 or under, who are particularly susceptible to serious neurological damage from lead exposure, live. Thousands of young children living in public housing (the Projects) have been potentially exposed to lead poisoning. Some buildings within the Queensbridge Houses were identified as having lead paint.
How Lead Affects Children
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), lead may cause significant harm to one’s health. It can particularly affect young children. Exposure to lead can cause impaired brain development resulting in reduced intelligence quotient or IQ, behavioral changes such as decreased attention span and increased anti-social behavior, and reduced academic achievement. Lead exposure may also cause anemia, hypertension, kidney problems and toxicity to the immune system and reproductive organs. The neurological and behavioral effects of lead poisoning are believed to be irreversible.
There is no known blood lead concentration that can be considered “safe.” We know now that even blood lead concentrations that are termed low may be associated with decreased intelligence in children, behavioral issues and learning difficulties. As lead exposure increases, the range and severity of symptoms also increases.
NYC Lead Poisoning Lawyer
Whether you have been living as a tenant at a private apartment complex or in a public housing unit (the Projects), please remember that you have legal rights. If your child has been diagnosed with high blood lead levels, regardless of whether you live in public or private housing, you may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit against the NYCHA (the Projects) or private landlords (building owners and building managers) 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.
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/or 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://sunnysidepost.com/queensbridge-residents-sue-nycha-for-hazardous-living-conditions