KURT PRESSMAN and KAREN KRUSKAL have focused their law practice for nearly 20 years on representing children who have suffered lead paint poisoning. The firm has represented hundreds of children and their families in lead poisoning cases and has been responsible for a number of major Massachusetts court decisions in this area of law. Both Mr. Pressman and Ms. Kruskal have spoken frequently at conferences and seminars, both in Massachusetts and nationally, and have authored numerous articles on the subject of childhood lead poisoning. Ms. Kruskal was the co-chair of the "National Lead Litigation Conference" held in April, 2000, in Amelia Island, Florida. The firm takes lead poisoning cases both directly from clients and by referral from other attorneys.

CHILDHOOD LEAD POISONING

Facts about Lead Poisoning

Lead paint poisoning is a major health hazard, which can have devastating effects on young children. Although a lead-poisoned child often has no immediate or visible symptoms, children poisoned by lead can suffer permanent brain damage. Learning disabilities and behavioral or attention problems caused by lead poisoning can affect a child's school performance and future job opportunities. Lead paint is still found in many older homes throughout the country. A child can be lead poisoned by eating paint chips or dust while engaging in normal mouthing behavior, by chewing on wooden surfaces covered with lead paint, by breathing lead dust in the air, or by swallowing soil which contains lead dust or paint chips.

What You Can Do

If there is any chance that your child may have been lead poisoned, immediately contact your family doctor or health clinic or your local health department to arrange for a simple blood test. If you suspect that your home contains lead paint, contact your local health department, board of health, and ask for a lead paint inspection.

Lead Poisoning and the Law in Massachusetts

Your landlord is legally required to remove the lead paint from your home if a child under six lives there. In addition, if your child is lead poisoned in a rental unit, the landlord is legally responsible for any injuries caused by that poisoning. A landlord may not evict you or take any other retaliatory actions against you for reporting violations of the lead paint law, or for obtaining a lead paint or other health code inspection, or for suing the landlord because s/he has violated the law. If your child has been poisoned by lead paint, s/he may be entitled to money damages. This may be true even if s/he appears to be perfectly healthy, or even if your child is older now and was poisoned a long time ago.