Handling Injury Cases Resulting from Exposure to Lead Paint Since 1981

One of the most common sources of lead paint exposure is from lead paint used in older houses, apartment buildings, child care centers, schools and other buildings. Lead paint particles, lead paint chips and lead paint dust can be extremely dangerous when inhaled or consumed, especially by infants and young children who are still developing. Unfortunately, lead paint is often ingested more frequently by children when they touch their fingers to their mouths or put their fingers in their mouths. Because lead dust particles are invisible, most people are unaware that they have inhaled or ingested the dust until symptoms surface. If you suspect that your child or a child you love is suffering from lead poisoning, contact us to speak to one of our experienced lead poisoning lawyers. (647) 646-3398

At The Orlow Firm, we represent individuals and families in NYC and surrounding areas who have suffered due to toxic exposure to lead paint. Our personal injury lawyers have decades of experience fighting for the rights of clients who have suffered due to someone else’s negligence. If you or your child has suffered a lead poisoning injury in New York City, call (646) 647-3398 for a free consultation.

Injured in New York City? Our Lead Paint Attorneys Fight for You.

Victims suffering from lead poisoning face serious health risks. Proper medical attention, diagnosis and treatment are necessary to address the varying symptoms of lead paint exposure and lead poisoning. Hiring the right lead poisoning lawyer who is prepared to confront the property managers, landlords, manufacturing companies and other parties responsible is paramount to succeeding in a lead poisoning injury claim. Our NYC lead poisoning attorneys have decades of experience helping people who are suffering due to toxic exposure.

Injured clients benefit from our extensive knowledge and experience in such complex claims.

• We understand how children are exposed to lead paint
• We have comprehensive skill handling lead poisoning cases involving contaminated buildings, defective or lead paint contaminated toys and other lead paint contamination
• We are familiar with state and federal laws, public housing rules that affect clients at risk of lead paint exposure
• We stay abreast of changes in New York and federal laws affecting lead paint litigation
• We have handled lead paint cases involving a variety of lead poisoning injuries
• We know how to demonstrate who is responsible for lead poisoning injuries and fatalities

Lead Poisoning In Children

Manhattan – Brooklyn – Queens – The Bronx – Staten Island

Like other heavy metals, lead can accumulate in the body from absorption through the skin or ingestion. In children, small amounts of lead can impact developmental factors associated with growth, internal organs, cognitive development, and physical strength.

At the law office of The Orlow Firm, our attorneys work with safety consultants, medical experts, toxicologists, and EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) agents in preparing lead poisoning cases involving children. We take paint and soil samples from buildings where children live, noting the presence of pealing paint, exposed lead piping, and other safety issues ignored by landlords and building owners.

If your child exhibits symptoms of lead poisoning, blood and urine tests should be conducted immediately. For more information regarding lead poisoning in children and how we can help you, contact lead poisoning lawyers at The Orlow Firm today.

Symptoms of Lead Poisoning

While each case is different, in general, the following symptoms are indicative of lead poisoning in children:

• Fatigue
• Weight loss
• Irritability
• Cognitive impairment, learning difficulties
• Stomach pain
• Constipation
• Vomiting
• Anemia
• Paleness

Determining Damages in Lead Poisoning Cases involving Children

The long-term effects of lead poisoning may not be clearly evident in children. As a result, doctors testifying on behalf of an insurer will try and downplay early indications of neurological damage, organ damage, or physical development. That’s why our attorneys work with medical experts who have years of experience in diagnosing and treating lead poisoning in children. We also consult medical economists and life care planners in calculating the health care costs of children permanently impaired by lead poisoning.

You cannot see, smell or taste lead, and most children with lead poisoning do not even have symptoms. Even at high levels of lead in the blood, common symptoms such as stomach aches and anemia are similar to illnesses that are much less serious. But, over time, children exposed to very high levels of lead can suffer seizures, severe brain damage, coma and death. Even relatively low levels of lead exposure in children have been linked to lower intelligence, decreased hearing, hyperactivity, attention deficit, and developmental problems that affect the ability to learn.

Children under the age of 6 are especially hurt by exposure to lead. Their growing bodies absorb more of the substance. In addition, their brains and nervous systems are particularly sensitive to lead’s damaging effects. Babies and toddlers often put their hands, as well as other objects, in their mouths. When they do this, they may also be swallowing or breathing in lead dust.

Sources of Lead Paint

Lead-based paint was used in many houses built before 1978. Paint chips, found both inside and outside of the house, can be all too easily ingested by children. The soil around a dwelling can also pick up lead from exterior paint or residue from leaded gas that was once used in cars. Children can swallow or inhale lead dust by playing in or near soil around the yard. When this soil is tracked into the house, it becomes part of household dust, along with deteriorating lead-based paint found indoors.

Older buildings such as schools may also present risks of contact with lead. As recently as February, 2012, lead paint chips were detected in a Virginia elementary school. Other sources of lead exposure are drinking water from plumbing pipes containing lead, old painted toys and furniture, food and liquids that have been stored in lead-glazed pottery or porcelain, and hobbies that use lead, such as furniture refinishing and making pottery and stained glass. Our lead poisoning lawyers are experienced in their approach to determining the source of lead exposure.

What To Do If Parents Suspect Lead Exposure

Parents who suspect their child has been exposed to lead should consult a doctor right away for a test of the child’s blood lead level (BLL). The normal level of blood lead is zero and there is no safe level of lead in the blood. For children ages 1-5, levels of 5 or above are of very serious concern. Parents should also contact the Department of Health and arrange for a full inspection of their living quarters. If lead conditions in the home create a risk of a BLL of 5 or above, parents should contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible to pursue appropriate legal action.

Only a specially trained and certified lead-abatement contractor can permanently remove a lead hazard. Parents who suspect a lead hazard in their home can take immediate temporary measures to reduce the risk to children. In addition to contacting their child’s doctor and the Department of Health, parents should report peeling or chipped paint to the landlord. Parents should clean up paint chips, regularly wash floors, window frames and window sills, clean or remove shoes before entering the home, keep children’s play areas clean, regularly wash bottles, pacifiers, toys and stuffed animals, and wash children’s hands before meals, nap time and bed time.

Lead Concentrations Have Declined, But Children Still At Risk

The federal government banned the use of lead-based paint in houses in 1978. The U.S. government also removed lead from gasoline in the 1970s and cut down on smokestack emissions from lead smelters and other industrial sources. Although there has been a steep decline in airborne lead exposure, certain counties may still be exceeding permissible levels. Furthermore, children may continue to be at risk from airborne lead from sanding or heating old paint or from burning or melting automobile batteries. Overall, lead concentrations have declined in all children. Poor children, and black children, however, continue to have higher concentrations of lead in their blood than other children.

How Children Are Exposed to Lead Poisoning

Adults are commonly exposed to lead through a variety of routes, including on-the-job exposure, exposure from contaminated soil and exposure to poisoned water. Children, however, are most often exposed via:

• Paint and paint dust
• Toys

New York City banned lead paint in 1960. Because no leaded paints have been used in our city legally for 50 years, and because most manufacturers have scaled back their use of paint when making toys, many assume that lead poisoning now poses a rare and marginal threat to children here. However, lead continues to find its way to children through toys produced in China and elsewhere, and from the ingestion of lead through paint chips and paint dust.

If you have questions regarding lead poisoning and children’s exposure to lead in New York, contact the personal injury lawyers at The Orlow Firm. Attorneys Adam Orlow, Brian Orlow and Steven Orlow have extensive experience representing children and adults who have suffered injury due to lead poisoning, and have recovered significant sums for victims of lead poisoning in The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens.

Managing All Legal Issues Relating to Lead Poisoning in New York

At The Orlow Firm, we work diligently to assert our clients’ rights regarding lead poisoning while also compelling landlords to reduce the use of lead paint in New York City apartment buildings.

Contact the Orlow Firm

Do not suffer the effects of lead poisoning without pursuing your full legal rights. Contact The Orlow Firm for experienced legal counsel. We offer free initial consultations and operate four offices across New York City for your convenience. We can go to you if you cannot come to us.

To contact a New York lead paint lawyer, call (646) 647-3398.

New York City Lead Based Paint Exposure Attorney

Handling Injury Cases Resulting from Exposure to Toxic Substances Since 1981

For children, even mild and low-level exposure to lead via lead paint, paint chips, paint dust, lead-painted toys and the toys constructed from lead can have serious effects on development and on the child’s kidney/renal, cardiovascular and nervous systems, as well as the brain. Unfortunately, lead poisoning symptoms can be mild, subtle and even invisible for many years. As a result, testing for lead poisoning is essential for children’s good health.

If you or your child exhibits symptoms of lead poisoning, if you have reason to believe you or your child may have been exposed to lead or if you are simply concerned about lead poisoning, blood testing is available to determine exposure. The New York personal injury attorneys of The Orlow Firm can help.

If you need information regarding the diagnosis of lead paint poisoning, contact The Orlow Firm for a no-charge consultation. Call (646) 647-3398.

Our four-member lawyer team, together with our dedicated paralegals, our investigators and our experts, have handled lead poisoning cases in our combined 60 plus years of legal practice. We are highly knowledgeable both in helping clients receive the information and care they need following lead poisoning and possible lead poisoning, and in working to win needed financial compensation through negotiations with and litigation against landlords, employers and other parties.

While the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene reports lead poisoning in New York dropped 90 percent since 1995, it is prudent to remain aware of the health risks of lead paint poisoning and to pursue medical help and legal help when symptoms and risks are present.

Contact The Orlow Firm

Contact The Orlow Firm for experienced representation in lead poisoning lawsuits. We offer free initial consultations and operate four offices across New York City for your convenience. We can also go to you if you cannot come to us.

To contact a New York lead paint exposure lawyer, call (646) 647-3398.

Who can be sued for Lead Poisoning?

Handling Injury Cases Resulting from Exposure to Toxic Substances Since 1981

When you or your child is poisoned by lead in New York City, whom does the law hold legally responsible for injuries? When you need help in pursuing compensation from negligent landlords, property owners and employers, who can provide aggressive legal representation based on a thorough knowledge of New York lead poisoning and liability laws, and trial experience?

Attorneys of The Orlow Firm have provided knowledgeable and effective representation throughout New York City for almost 30 years. We work with safety consultants, medical experts, toxicologists and agents from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to prepare lead poisoning lawsuits for settlement negotiations and trial against defendants, which commonly include:

• Owners of apartment buildings (including the City of New York), especially old apartment buildings and apartment buildings in low-income neighborhoods
• Owners of child-related businesses like day care facilities
• Manufacturers and retailers

Numerous state and federal laws require employers, manufacturers and property owners to provide a safe living and working environment for tenants and employees, and to produce and distribute safe toys and other consumer goods. If you suspect you or your child is a victim of lead poisoning, or if a blood lead level (BLL) test has revealed lead poisoning, contact us for a no-charge discussion of your rights and options. Call (646) 647-3398.

If you or your child’s BLL is high, we can have paint and soil samples from buildings tested, identify pealing paint, examine exposed lead piping and hold landlords and building owners accountable for all negligence.

Contact The Orlow Firm

Contact The Orlow Firm for experienced personal injury representation. We offer free initial consultations and operate four offices across New York City for your convenience. We can go to you if you cannot come to us.

To contact a NYC lead paint lawyer, call (646) 647-3398.

Lead Poisoning Treatment

Injuries resulting from acute and chronic lead poisoning can be severe and even horrific. In extreme cases, the result can be wrongful death. The seriousness of the injuries generally increases with exposure levels.

Treatment also varies with exposure levels, and can include:

• The consumption of iron, calcium, and zinc, all of which can become deficient due to lead poisoning
• Bowel irrigation to remove lead
• The administration of anti-convulsants when seizures are present
• Medication to treat swelling of the brain
• Chelation therapy for people with high blood lead concentrations. Chelation therapy involves the addition of metals into the body that bond with lead, creating harmless metals that can be passed through the body via urine

Only a physician can prescribe and administer the proper treatment for lead exposure and poisoning. If you have questions regarding lead paint diagnosis and lead paint poisoning, it is a good idea to:

• Contact a doctor
• Call 311 to access New York City municipal services
• Contact an experienced lead paint poisoning attorney in New York City

Do you need help regarding lead paint poisoning? Do you have questions regarding the treatment of lead paint exposure? Contact The Orlow Firm at (646) 647-3398.

While rates of lead paint poisoning in New York City are decreasing, so is the funding that has likely led to the reduction. When lead poisoning strikes, be sure and consult with a lead poisoning lawyer with a long record of recovering compensation for clients following lead exposure.

Steve Orlow and the lawyers of The Orlow Firm have a combined 60 plus years of experience representing injured people in New York City. Our efforts have resulted in the recovery of significant sums for dozens of lead poisoning victims.

Contact the Orlow Firm

Contact The Orlow Firm for experienced lead poison legal help and for information regarding lead paint laws. We offer free initial consultations and operate four offices across New York City for your convenience. We can go to you if you cannot come to us.

To contact a lawyer, call (646) 647-3398.

New York Lead Paint Regulation

Handling Injury Cases Resulting from Exposure to Toxic Substances Since 1981

Since 1995, New York City, aided by strict laws protecting residents from the dangers posed by lead paint and other lead sources, has greatly reduced the number of child suffering lead poisoning. Over a 10-year period, lead poisoning among children declined by 82 percent.

General liability laws protect injured individuals’ rights to pursue compensation following the diagnosis of lead poisoning injuries. Additionally, New York’s Local Law 1 provides numerous safeguards, such as:

• Requiring landlords to inform tenants of lead hazards
• Providing for the inspection of apartments occupied by children under 6 years old
• Providing guidelines and requirements regarding the legal removal of identified lead

Despite New York City’s effective lead paint laws, large numbers of adults and children continue to suffer from lead poisoning each year. In a recent year, almost 3,500 children in New York City were identified with elevated blood lead levels (BLLs).

Because lead poisoning can lead to serious injuries and even death, parents in New York must remain vigilant both in protecting themselves and their children from lead poisoning and in pursuing their legal rights if lead poisoning occurs. The attorneys of The Orlow Firm can help in all legal matters relating to lead poisoning. We bring a nearly 30-year trial history to each lead poisoning case we handle, and have recovered millions of dollars in compensation for injured clients.

New York Lead Paint Detection

Helping You Understand Lead Poisoning Law in New York City

“Lead is still present in many of our neighborhoods, but we can limit exposure to children and adults by working together.” — EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson.

The effects of lead poisoning can be insidious. In the 19th century, workers routinely suffered from and died from lead poisoning in a broad range of industries for decades before a causal connection was suspected and, later, proved. If you work or live in the presence of lead, it’s important that you understand the basics and facts of lead poisoning as well as your legal rights in the event of injuries or the loss of a child or other loved one.

At The Orlow Firm, we have provided lead poisoning facts and committed legal representation to New Yorkers since 1981. If you or your child has been poisoned by lead, chances are symptoms will be invisible and that serious harm, if it occurs, will manifest itself long after exposure begins. Symptoms and injuries can include:

• Adults: headaches, abdominal pain, memory loss, kidney failure, pain and tingling in the extremities
• Children: loss of appetite, abdominal pain, vomiting, weight loss, constipation, anemia, kidney failure, irritability, lethargy, learning disabilities and behavior problems

The primary method for detecting lead poisoning is a blood lead level (BLL) test, administered by a doctor. If you suspect you or your child has been poisoned by lead, or if you need help in accessing medical care, contact the lawyers of The Orlow Firm. We have handled lead poisoning lawsuits and can help in all aspects of lead poisoning litigation, from initial testing to the pursuit of compensation through settlement negotiations and trial.

Contact The Orlow Firm

We offer free initial consultations and operate four offices across New York City for your convenience. We can go to you if you cannot come to us.

To contact a lawyer, call (646) 647-3398.

New York City Lead Paint Remediation

Legal Removal of Hazardous Lead

Handling Injury Cases Resulting from Exposure to Toxic Substances Since 1981

Similar to laws governing the handling and removal of asbestos, New York City laws pertaining to lead exposure require the safe removal of lead when lead threatens the safety of building inhabitants and in other circumstances. For instance, local laws, including Local Law #1, require the safe removal of lead from day care facilities.

Landlords and other property owners cannot simply tear down walls or paint over lead paint. New York law strictly governs lead paint remediation. For example:

• Lead paint removal must be performed by a person who has successfully completed a course on lead-safe work practices given by or on behalf of approved agencies, including the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
• Lead-contaminated dust clearance testing must be performed at the completion of remediation work.

New York City law also governs decisions regarding when lead paint remediation is legally required and when it is not.

If you have questions regarding lead paint poisoning and your rights to remediation and legal financial compensation, contact the New York lead paint attorneys at The Orlow Firm.

Our representation in lead paint claims has two purposes. First, we want to make certain our clients obtain the compensation they need to make the best possible recovery. Secondly, we are focused on making dwellings and business spaces safe and lead free.

Contact The Orlow Firm

The Orlow Firm offers free initial consultations and operates four offices across New York City for your convenience. We can go to you if you cannot come to us.

To contact a New York lead paint exposure lawyer, call (646) 647-3398.

Lead Paint Poisoning Exposure from Toys & Toys Containing Lead Paint

Handling Injury Cases Resulting from Exposure to Toxic Substances Since 1981

Lead poisoning most commonly occurs to and is most harmful to very young children. At The Orlow Firm, we believe that attorneys who help victims of lead poisoning should also work diligently to alleviate and prevent lead poisoning in their communities.

The Orlow Firm has helped clients who have experienced lead poisoning obtain the financial compensation they deserve. They have also worked to help clients and the public understand the threat that exposure to lead can bring, and to help people understand their legal rights.

One potential source of lead poisoning for children had been alleviated but has recently reappeared as a real threat: toys that have been painted with lead paint. Many of these toys come from China and have caused serious injuries and even deaths, especially when children swallow jewelry, trinkets and charms that are sometimes made almost entirely of lead.

A recently published list of lead toys currently threatening children includes not just metal and painted toys but a broad and unexpected range of items not often associated with lead risks. They include:

• Children’s musical instruments
• Jewelry
• Gardening sets
• Wooden railroad set toys
• Bamboo toys
• Toy easels
• Action figures

Clearly, almost any toy has the potential to carry danger into your home. If you have questions or concerns regarding lead poisoning, lead injuries and symptoms and other lead-related questions, contact our firm.

Injuries Caused By Lead Poisoning

Handling Injury Cases Resulting from Exposure to Toxic Substances Since 1981

Lead poisoning is a systemic affliction and can bring on numerous injuries. Milder exposure can bring on broad range of symptoms to victims which can include loss of appetite, constipation, nausea, discoloration of the skin, fatigue, weakness, loss of weight, headaches, trouble sleeping, tremors, numbness, dizziness, hyperactivity and anxiety.

Acute and chronic exposure can bring much more severe symptoms and bodily damage, especially to younger victims. In long-term-exposure and ingestion cases, adults and children can suffer:

• Damage to the brain, kidney, cardiovascular and nervous systems
• Developmental issues (in children) and cognitive deficits
• Hearing loss
• Anemia
• Neurological damage
• Rupture of red blood cells
• Damage to the reproductive system

Clearly, injuries caused by lead poisoning are numerous and severe. If you suspect you or your child has experienced lead poisoning due to occupational exposure, exposure to paint or exposure to toys painted or made with lead, you likely need medical and legal help.

The personal injury attorneys of The Orlow Firm can help you identify lead poisoning medical experts and provide the knowledgeable, skilled representation you need in legal proceedings against any responsible parties, including:

• Employers
• Retailers and manufacturers
• Landlords

Our four-member lawyer team, together with our dedicated paralegals, investigators and experts have helped dozens of lead poisoning victims in our combined six decades of personal injury legal experience, and we are highly experienced in investigating the circumstances surrounding lead poisoning, litigating against negligent parties and obtaining financial compensation.

NYCHA Questionable Statistics on Lead in Apartments

New York City has one of the nation’s largest public housing authority. For this reason figuring out the number of apartments that may test positive for lead paint is nearly impossible. The question of what is being done about the issue is part of n ongoing investigation. Making things more difficult is the idea that lead paint issues might be under reported by the NYCHA.

There are thousands of New York City public housing apartments that are believed to contain lead paint. In most of these cases the Housing Authority believes the lead paint is best left alone until someone moves out. In the last 5 years more than 200 children have tested positive for elevated levels of lead.

If your child has been harmed by lead paint and/or your landlord has failed to remedy the condition, contact a New York lead paint attorney at the Orlow Firm. Our attorneys are highly knowledgeable about lead paint hazards, especially in NYCHA buildings and apartments. The initial consultation is free. For your convenience, we maintain four offices throughout New York City. Call (646) 647-3398 or contact us online.

Contact the Orlow Firm Today

If you or your child is suffering from lead poisoning injuries, such as brain damage, learning disabilities, cognitive problems, neurological problems or other damage, talk to a skilled lawyer about your situation. You may have a right to be compensated.

Call (646) 647-3398 to speak with the NYC lead paint lawyers at The Orlow Firm for a free consultation and to discuss your potential lead poisoning lawsuit.