Children Are Most At Risk for Lead Paint Poisoning
Lead is a naturally occurring metal in our environment that can be found in several types of commodities. These include gasoline, paint, toys, plumbing and – as has been seen in recent news reports – even water. This metal is toxic and long-term exposure can cause damage to the body and brain affecting the cardiovascular, neurological, and gastrointestinal systems to name a few.
Children are at the greatest risk for health issues related to lead poisoning. Children have smaller bodies that are growing and this makes them susceptible to absorbing and retaining lead in their bodies. Lead paint is the most common source lead poisoning in children. Lead paint was banned for use in homes in 1973. If your child lived in a home that was constructed before 1973 then they may suffer lead poisoning if they consumed paint chips or inhaled dust from lead based paint.
Statistics & Symptoms of Child Lead Poisoning
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that exposure to lead accounts for 0.6 percent of global disease. Contrary to popular belief, a large amount of lead poisoning cases occur in developing countries. As many as 600,000 new cases appear every year of children diagnosed with intellectual disabilities that can be traced back to lead paint. Even low levels of lead in the blood can cause serious and irreversible brain damage and permanent loss of function in children.
Exposure to lead can occur in numerous ways including, lead paint poisoning. Generally this occurs when a child ingests leaded paint chips or breathes in air or dust contaminated with lead. Lead poisoning causes nausea, anemia and stomach aches – but these symptoms are often only displayed when very high levels of lead are present. For this reason, it is essential that all children be tested for lead poisoning.
Most children with lead poisoning do not show any symptoms initially. When symptoms do occur, however, they may include they also include irritability, loss of appetite, difficulty concentrating and/or hyperactivity, metallic taste in the mouth, fatigue and weight loss. Studies have shown that long-term effects of lead poisoning are poor muscle coordination and impaired motor skills, developmental delays, diminished growth of the muscles and bones, difficulties with speech and language, as well as permanent damage to the kidneys, nervous system and/or hearing loss.
Product Liability for Defective Toys
There are a number of defective products that are being sold in the market that have high levels of lead. Many of these products are made for children. Law prohibits toy manufacturers from using lead products or lead based paint. However, sometimes toys are manufactured in foreign countries that are not subject to strict inspections. In some cases these foreign toy manufacturers either knowingly or mistakenly use lead paint or lead products in their toys. It can be difficult going after a foreign company but any company in the United States that sold a defective product produced by a foreign company is also responsible for any child lead paint injuries.
Lead in Metal Costume Jewelry
Other defective lead-based products in the United States deal with metal costume jewelry. Children suffered lead poisoning injuries from metal costume jewelry in 2003, 2006 and 2009. In 2003 a child dies when he swallowed a metal charm off a bracelet that contained 99.1% lead.
Schedule Your Free Consultation With An Experienced Brockton Personal Injury Lawyer
For over thirty years our attorneys have been helping accident victims secure the compensation they are entitle to. Our firm has settled hundreds of insurance injury claims over the last few years.
If your child has suffered cardiovascular, neurological or gastrointestinal damage it may be due to lead paint poisoning. This exposure may be due to the negligence or failure to disclose the risk of lead exposure by another party. If this is the case, you have the right to hold that person or company responsible for their actions and liable for your child’s injuries. The child lead paint poisoning attorneys at The Law Offices of Gerald J. Noonan. We have decades of experience successfully representing victims in all types of child injury cases, including those involving lead paint poisoning.
Our firm takes cases on a contingency fee basis. This means there is no cost to you unless we get you compensation for your accident. If you or a loved one has sustained a fractured or broken bone as the result of a slip and fall accident or a car, truck or motorcycle accident call us today at (508) 588-0422 to schedule a free, no-obligation legal consultation.
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