Lead Paint Safety
If your home, or a home you rent, was built before 1978, there is a good chance there is lead-based paint used somewhere on the property. The federal government banned its use in 1978, with some states doing so sooner. Lead from paint and lead contaminated dust is one of the most common causes of lead poisoning, and no safe blood levels in children has been identified.
Even when lead levels are low, children can still exhibit lower IQ levels, difficulty concentrating, and lower academic achievement. The effects of lead cannot be corrected, so it is important that parents stop lead exposure before it causes harm to their child.
Children under the age of six (6) are more at-risk for lead poisoning as they tend to put their hands and other items into their mouths as a part of normal development. To prevent lead exposure, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends the following safety measures:
- Contact the state health department about testing the paint and dust in your home for lead.
- Make sure that no child has access to peeling, chipping, cracking paint or surfaces painted with lead-based paint.
- Children and pregnant women should not be in the home if it is undergoing renovations and was built prior to 1978.
- Until environmental cleanup is completed, do not allow children access to areas with sources of lead.
- Regularly wash children’s toys and hands.
- Regularly wet-wash window components and wet-mop floors.
- Take off shoes before entering the house to prevent lead from the soil being tracked within the home.
- Prevent children from playing in bare soil that could be contaminated, on older playground equipment, and use caution around playgrounds that use shredded tires for safety-these tires often contain lead from their prior use.
Lead does not only enter the home through soil and lead-based paint. To further reduce the risk of children being exposed to non-paint sources, the CDC recommends:
- Avoid using cosmetics that could contain lead.
- Avoid using traditional folk medicines such as “greta”, “azarcon”, “nzu”, “poto”, or “calabash chalk”. All of these remedies contain high levels of lead.
- Avoid using tableware, cookware, or containers that do not state they are lead free and food safe.
- Do not eat candies from Mexico.
- Do not allow children to play with recalled toys and toy jewelry and be cautious with toys that have been passed down through the generations-they often contain lead paint.
- Use cold water when making baby bottles, cooking, and drinking-older pipes are often made of lead and corrode over time, and hot water is more likely to contain higher levels of lead.
- Shower and change clothing after working with lead, including contractors, working with stained glass, making bullets, or spending time at the firing range.
The number of lead-poisoned children in Illinois is among the highest in the nation, according to the Illinois General Assembly Advisory Council. If your child was exposed to lead paint and suffered injuries due to this exposure, contact the experienced lawyers at 844 See Mike to discuss your case as soon as possible.
We at 844 See Mike are proud to serve our fellow citizens in personal injury cases, especially when you or a loved one has been injured, and we are fully committed to protecting your rights and ensuring that the other party is held legally accountable when negligence occurs. We will fight until the very end to ensure that you are fully compensated for all injuries and losses resulting from the accident, including medical expenses, property damage, lost wages, and pain and suffering, and you won’t owe us a dime for our services.
We see you as a person, not just a client – and that makes us better at work we do. We listen. We learn your story. And, as we help you get the money you deserve, we go above and beyond in a way most law firms never could and never would. Because we’re not just lawyers. And you’re not just a client. We’re friends, neighbors, family. We’re all people and here at 844 See Mike, we put People, First.
Helping our clients is about counseling, advocating, and ultimately solving problems. With years of experience successfully representing the people, not the powerful, we will take care of the insurance adjusters, your medical bills, your property damage, your lost wages, and monitor your treatment so you can focus on healing and getting your life back to normal. Our unique formula has earned us over 900 outstanding client reviews on our website, an A+ BBB rating, and over 120 five-star reviews on Google. Call 888-572-0176, e-mail us at michael@agrusslawfirm.com, or schedule meeting with us here. We’re here 24/7.