Lead poisoning is the most common environmental illness in children in California today and can lead to lifelong injuries, including learning disabilities, speech impairment, and other developmental issues. There is no known level of lead that can exist in the body safely, so any amount of lead that seeps into your body can be considered lead poisoning. Luckily, lead poisoning is preventable in most instances, so educating yourself on what lead poisoning is and where lead particles can be found in your daily life can help prevent injury to yourself or your child. However, there are times when you may encounter lead in your home as a result of your landlord’s failure to notify you of the existence of lead in your building or another violation of California lead regulations. Call the attorneys at Brod Law Firm if you suspect there may be lead in your building or have suffered from lead poisoning.
Lead Poisoning in Your Daily Life
Paint
Since 1978, lead paint has been banned in homes. However, there are still plenty of pre-1978 houses that contain high enough amounts of lead that can harm both the children and adults living there. As the paint chips away and falls to the floor, young children can pick up those pieces and put them in their mouths, transferring the lead paint to their bodies.
Property owners are required under California law to inspect for lead paint and warn tenants of the existence of lead paint in the building. If a property owner decides to strip an old building of lead paint, he or she is required to hire a company that has special expertise in working with lead paint. If you believe there is lead paint in your building and were not given notice of that before moving in, contact the lawyers at Brod Law Firm so we can help you determine your options for moving forward.
Water Pipes
On average, roughly 20% of our lead intake across the country comes from drinking water. While drinking water from reservoirs typically does not contain lead, lead may enter the water through service lines, brass faucet fixtures, and soldering in copper pipes. Since 1988, lead-based solder in copper pipes has been banned, but plenty of pipes from pre-1988 can still contain lead soldering that may get into the water you drink at home. Make sure to ask your landlord for inspection documentation so you know whether the water in your home is safe to drink.
Soil
Since lead is a naturally occurring metal, it can be found in the soil around your home that your children play in. Soil can easily get tracked into your home from dirty shoes or clothes that your child was wearing while playing in the soil. Make sure to remind your children to wash their hands after playing in the soil and leave dirty clothes and shoes by the door so as not to track the soil all over your home.
It is a good idea to have your young child tested for lead levels in their blood annually, as young children are the most susceptible to lead poisoning. If you believe there are lead particles in your home, or if you or your child has suffered from lead poisoning, contact the experienced lead poisoning lawyers at Brod Law Firm today to learn more about your options for recovery. Contact us at (800) 427-7020 or visit us online to schedule your confidential and free consultation.
(image courtesy of Quin Stevenson)