Lead Poisoning

Over the past few decades, there have been significant measures taken to reduce the risk of lead poisoning particularly for children. For decades, our cars and trucks are now required to use unleaded gasoline. Since 1978, there has been a ban on the use of lead-based paint (except in very unique commercial settings)

The attempts to limit exposure to lead are for a good reason. Lead is understood in all scientific circles to be a very potent neurotoxin. As a neurotoxin, lead is known to invade the developing brain of a child and cause very significant adverse consequences. The North Carolina lead poisoning lawyers at Hendren Redwine & Malone have helped hundreds of North Carolina children recover fair compensation for the damage caused by lead.

Lead is a very persistent substance. Many people exposed to lead are surprised to learn that the house they live in is the cause of the lead poisoning. Old lead-based paint in homes is the number one source of lead-poisoning for children in North Carolina. In most North Carolina legal cases, the lead poisoning of a child was identified as likely coming from exposure to deteriorating paint in older homes. However, there are some cases, particularly in Forsyth County, where the lead poisoning was identified as likely coming from an industrial source. There have also been a few isolated cases of lead poisoning from water that was contaminated by the leaching of lead from plumbing components although this is not a significant issue in North Carolina.

In North Carolina, lead poisoning has not affected every community equally. Statistics published by the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources indicate that the hardest hit communities are located in the eastern part of the state including Rocky Monut, Edgecombe County; Roanoke Rapids and Weldon, Halifax County; Kinston, Lenoir County; Rocky Mount and Nashville, Nash County; Wilmington, New Hanover County; Greenville, Pitt County; Goldsboro, Wayne County; Wilson, Wilson County. Other communities in the North Carolina piedmont have also seen higher than average numbers of lead poisoned children including Burlington, Alamance County; Durham, Durham County; Winston-Salem, Forsyth County and Greensboro and High Point, Guilford County.

Fortunately, the number of lead poisoned children in North Carolina has dropped dramatically over the last 10 years. This is largely due to the tremendous efforts of many dedicated staff at the North Carolina Children’s Environmental Health Branch and others working within local health departments.

For more information on the North Carolina lead poisoning prevention programs, you may want to contact the North Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program.

Symptoms

We now know that children suffer from permanent brain damage with even extremely small amounts of lead in their blood. The American Academy of Pediatrics calls the situation unacceptable and has called for more action to eliminate this problem once and for all and the threshold for what is considered a dangerous level of lead in a child’s blood has dropped significantly over the past 30 years.

Young developing children suffer the most from exposure to lead. When a child has a very high level of lead in the blood, this toxin can cause permanent physiological damage. But lead in smaller doses is also very dangerous and can result in permanent impacts. A young child’s brain and nerve function can be severely compromised by even comparatively lower levels of lead poisoning which can significantly impact the learning ability of a lead poisoned child.

The North Carolina lead poisoning lawyers at Hendren Redwine & Malone work with top pediatric neuropsychologists and other physicians to evaluate and understand the impact of lead poisoning on our young clients. Symptoms we frequently see in our lead poisoned clients include inattention, uncontrollable aggression, hyperactivity, learning disabilities, poor executive function, poor academic performance, poor auditory and/or visual processing.

You can find more information regarding the health effects of childhood lead poisoning at the U.S. E.P.A. lead poisoning website.

Examples of Lead Contamination

• Paint: Since lead-based paint was banned in 1978, many people believe that means there is no on-going threat from lead-based paint. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. There are millions of homes across the United States, including North Carolina, with lead-based paint. Over time, lead-based paint deteriorates through chipping, peeling and flaking. As a result, there is often a significant build-up of lead dust that is now toxic particularly to young children. We frequently see lead dust levels in window wells and on windowsills that is many times above the safe level of lead which puts young children at great risk of lead poisoning.
• Soil: Lead frequently accumulates in the soil of homes that have excessive exterior lead-based paint. For young children playing outside of these homes, this soil is essentially poisonous. Some children with lead poisoning exhibit a unique condition called pica which involves placing the leaded soil into their mouths and only increases the risk of significant lead poisoning.
• Water: In some communities, such as Flint, Michigan, lead poisoning from old lead-lined pipes is a significant issue. Fortunately, for most North Carolina communities, lead exposure from old plumbing or piping has not been a significant cause of childhood lead poisoning.

Our Experience With Lead Poisoning Cases

When a North Carolina child is a victim of lead poisoning, the effects can be long lasting, particularly in children. Child victims of lead poisoning often suffer developmental disabilities that can make adjusting to a normal life practically impossible.

The North Carolina lead poisoning lawyers at Hendren Redwine & Malone have helped hundreds of North Carolina lead poisoning victims recover fair compensation for the life-altering damages from lead poisoning. No law firm in North Carolina has helped more lead poisoning victims than Hendren Redwine & Malone.

Over the years, Mike Malone has gained a reputation as being a fierce advocate for the rights of those who have suffered from the careless pollution of their environments. He has successfully argued for his lead poisoned clients before state and federal courts and has dedicated his career to helping the victims of lead poisoning receive fair and just treatment.

If your children have suffered from lead poisoning, and you feel that your needs and concerns are not being taken seriously, contact the lawyers at Hendren, Redwine & Malone for a free legal consultation today. Call us toll-free at 866-874-5253.