Relocating to Los Angeles can be an exciting change for you and your family. New neighborhoods and suburbs, the thrill of finding new spots to shop and eat dinner, finding a new laundry, and the thrill of new friends should be fun. Picking your next home, though, is a chore, from evaluating your commute time to work and school to ensuring the neighborhood is safe. Safety is always at the top of the list. Things like building materials are rarely considered dangerous. There is, however, something you should ask about. Does the paint on the walls in your new Long Beach, South Bay, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, and San Pedro area home or apartment have any lead in the paint?
In 1978, a federal law was passed stating that no lead paint could be used in any home or apartment building. As part of that law, there was no requirement for owners to remove the lead paint already on walls. In the 45 years since its passage, it is likely that the walls have been repainted with non-lead paint. Should the walls in the property get changed or sustain damage, old paint containing lead may be exposed. The owners of the property are legally required to document the presence of lead paint in your rental agreement.
If your family members get ill and you believe that lead-based paint in your new rental is the source of their illness, contact Normandie Law Firm immediately. Our staff of Long Beach, South Bay, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, and San Pedro area lead poisoning lawyers are prepared to explain to you the rights you have if the illness is related to exposure to lead-based paint. We will schedule a free consultation with the team to assess your case.
Providing the lawyer with medical records, diagnosis, and the lease will enable this process to begin. Your lawyer will review the findings and merits of a lead poisoning lawsuit with you. With this information, you will understand the choices available and help you to determine your next steps. Please know that you are under no obligation to take any legal action, including hiring Normandie Law Firm if you wish to pursue a lawsuit.
At Normandie Law Firm, our primary focus at this stage is providing information that enables you to make good informed decisions. If the landlord or property owner did not inform you of the lead-based paint in the home, we will outline the following recommended steps. We only ask that you work with our staff at Normandie Law Firm as soon as you can. A critical item that we will cover is understanding the time limits for you to take legal action in your case.
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The Hazards Of Lead-Based Paint
According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are still more than 29 million family homes and apartments that contain some lead-based paint. They will often have children living in them who might get lead poisoning by way of exposure to paint chips or dust. Children may get chips on their hands and ingest them by putting their hands in their mouths. This can also happen when chips get on their toys, counters, showers, and window sills. While the lead-based paint is covered by new non-lead paint, it can become exposed due to damage, repair activities, humidity, or increased moisture.
Federal law also requires the owners of rental properties that have lead-based paint to take specific actions to carefully remove chips or dust during renovations. The dust can also lead to lead poisoning for anyone exposed to it.
Indications Of Illness Due To Lead Poisoning
When you believe your family has been exposed to lead-based paint, it is critical that you know what the symptoms of lead poisoning are. When the entire family exhibits symptoms, the problem may be caused by improper paint removal, resulting in the presence of dust containing particles of lead-based paint. If the symptoms only appear in children, then they have likely ingested paint chips, which have found their way into their bodies. Accidental ingestion includes a toy with them on it in their mouths. If you believe your children have consumed lead-based paint chips in your Long Beach, South Bay, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, and San Pedro area rental home, seek medical attention immediately. Some of the more common symptoms of lead poisoning are:
- Loss of appetite and decreased weight
- Fatigue
- Constipation
- Blue tinted gums
- Vision or hearing loss
- Abdominal pain
When a family member is exposed to a large quantity of lead paint, known as acute lead poisoning, it can result in additional symptoms, including vomiting, jaundice, diarrhea, seizures, and coma. Acute cases of exposure may also cause damage to the kidneys, brain, cardiovascular, and digestive systems, especially in children. If not addressed quickly, the children may experience long-term effects like ADHD or other learning disabilities, as well as anemia and neurological issues.
Responsible Persons In A Lead Poisoning Case For A Rental Property
Under premises liability law, the owner of the property is responsible for its safety. Their obligation is to ensure the property is well-maintained and has no known safety or health issues. If issues do exist and the owner does not address items reported or known, they can be held negligent in their duty of care and are held responsible for the harm caused due to lack of action. There may be other responsible parties as well. If a professional company is hired to remove the construction debris that contains lead paint chips or dust and fails to do so, that company may also be held partly or entirely responsible for damages.
The different aspects of the illness can be overwhelming as you process all that is happening. Please reach out to our lead poisoning lawyers in Long Beach, South Bay, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, and the San Pedro area at Normandie Law Firm, and we can help you keep up with everything case-related. When we determine your case has legal merit, the staff will be ready to handle those items for you. Beginning with an investigation and followed by the creation of the documentation to file the lawsuit in pursuit of the compensation you deserve, we are ready to go to work for you. It is crucial that you understand the limit on the time you have to take legal action. The sooner you contact us, the quicker we can get started to ensure you are fairly represented and compensated for the expenses due to lead poisoning in your home.
Understanding The Value Of Your Long Beach, South Bay, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach And San Pedro Area Lead Poisoning Lawsuit
One of the more critical items that you need to understand when considering legal action is the estimated value of your lawsuit when you or your family are the victims of a personal injury. Many clients enter the process believing that the court uses fixed amounts to be awarded based on the type of injury or accident. That is absolutely not how the process works. Each lawsuit is examined carefully to determine the actual costs incurred by the victim. The amount of compensation sought is determined by basing it on items such as medical expenses, income losses, and property losses that you actually experienced. Your Normandie Law Firm lead poisoning lawyer in Long Beach, South Bay, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, and the San Pedro area will complete all the documentation needed to verify the allowable expenses. Below is a list of items most often used but by no means limited to:
- Costs of current and projected medical expenses directly related to the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of any injuries or illnesses caused by lead poisoning, which may include any counseling for you dealing with the trauma and stress experienced due to the incident
- The costs of legal fees and expenses related to the preparation, filing, and litigating of your Long Beach, South Bay, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, and San Pedro area County lead poisoning lawsuit
- The replacement of personal property damaged, destroyed, or discarded by the lead poisoning incident due to contamination or clean-up efforts
- Lost income for any adult affected by the incident if it prevented them from working until fully recovered and allowed to return to work after being cleared by medical professionals
The Time Limits For Filing My Lead Poisoning Lawsuit
In lawsuits where an adult is the victim, the Statute of Limitations is two years. This is the standard time limit for a personal injury victim to take legal action and notably starts on the date the incident occurs. This is strictly enforced, and once expired, the victim will be unable to sue for compensation for the impact of the personal injury. There are rarely any exceptions that would allow a lawsuit to be pursued if the Statute of Limitations has expired.
Where a minor child is the victim of lead poisoning in a Long Beach, South Bay, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, or San Pedro area property, the window to pursue legal action varies a bit. Parents can file legal action on behalf of their minor child until the child reaches the age of majority at 18 or becomes emancipated. In rare cases, suffering lead poisoning injuries as a minor can allow the victim to take legal action against the liable party until they are 20 years old. Please engage the professional staff at Normandie Law Firm as soon as you can to review the details of your case, including the time remaining under the Statute of Limitations for your case.
Upfront Legal Fees And Your Legal Services
When you hire the team at Normandie Law Firm to represent you in your Long Beach, South Bay, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, and San Pedro area lead poisoning lawsuits, we do not ask for legal fees or expenses upfront. We focus on working with our clients on cases with legal merit and then being paid after the matter is settled. If your lawyer does not win the case, you owe us nothing for representing you in your lawsuit. Please reach out to us to consult on the opportunity to receive compensation caused by a lead paint injury in your Long Beach, South Bay, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, or San Pedro area rental home.
Other Pages on Our Website Related to This Topic
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