Filing A Personal Injury Suit Against Your Landlord For Lead Exposure
Because lead is now widely recognized as a hazardous material, landlords are required by law to inform their renters of possible lead contamination in their buildings. Unfortunately, many landlords are lax in their duties or intentionally hide their property's lead contamination to avoid costly renovations, and this short-sighted greed can have lifelong ramifications for any children exposed to lead as a consequence. If you believe that you or your family members are victims of lead poisoning because of your landlord's negligence or deception, you may have grounds for a personal injury claim to recover your losses.
Testing Your Personal and Environmental Lead Levels
You may first learn about your possible lead exposure after a check-up at your doctor's office, particularly if you have young children. Lead exposure can lead to a number of symptoms like aggression, stunted intelligence, organ damage and difficulty responding to stimuli, and children are especially vulnerable to these effects. As soon as lead poisoning is a possibility, you should have yourself, your family members and your home tested for lead levels. Lead can often be found within old paint and pipes, and it builds up in the body over time. If any test results show unsafe lead levels, you may have grounds to sue your landlord.
Demonstrating Negligence on the Part of Your Landlord
In some cases, landlords in these cases will argue that they were unaware of the lead contamination. However, most states have passed laws requiring all property owners to ensure that buildings constructed prior to a certain year be tested and cleared of lead-containing materials. A personal injury attorney will be able to help you examine the laws in your state to determine the strongest legal case against a negligent landlord.
Quantifying the Damage to Your Family
Lead poisoning can be halted but not reversed, which is why it is so devastating for young children. But even adults can experience significant health problems due to prolonged lead exposure, and you may be dealing with the side effects of your landlord's carelessness for the rest of your life. Besides the basic medical costs of decontaminating your family and treating any illnesses that occur because of the lead, your attorney should help you reach a reasonable sum for your pain and suffering as well.
Receiving Compensation for Your Suffering
Once you have put together a strong case and decided on a figure, your attorney will move forward with the legal filing and begin to negotiate on your behalf. Many lead poisoning cases are clear cut enough that they are settled outside of court, though you may have a longer wait if other tenants are suing as well. With any luck, you will soon have the compensation you need to keep your family moving forward despite your tragedy. If your family is struggling under the burden of lead poisoning and you want to seek justice, contact a personal injury attorney from a company like Knochel Law Offices to explain your situation and get started.