Our Experienced Attorneys Have Collected Over $100 Million for Children Who Were Lead Poisoned

The attorneys at Levy Konigsberg are working to combat the lifelong health effects of lead poisoning for children in Chicago. When it comes to childhood lead poisoning in Illinois, the numbers are outrageous. In 2014, 270,000 children tested positive for lead, which is one of the highest rates in the nation. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, which by law receives every lead test conducted in the state, 10,361 Chicago kids younger than 6 had blood lead levels above 5 micrograms per deciliter in 2013. Five micrograms is a CDC standard that triggers medical monitoring and home inspections. 41% of the homes in Cook County have "significant lead paint hazards," according to the state.

In 2014, the Chicago set aside $4 million for anti-lead programs, down from nearly $8 million as recently as 2010, according to city records. Chicago now spends more each year on software licensing ($6.5 million) and expense accounts for aldermen ($4.8 million) than it does fighting childhood lead poisoning.

The effects of childhood lead poisoning are catastrophic and life changing. When a child ingests lead (typically from chipping lead-based paint), or inhales lead-based paint dust, the lead makes its way into the blood stream, bones and organs, and limits the development of the brain during critical developmental periods. Lead poisoned children experience a wide range of difficulties, including problems with language, executive functioning, impulse control, and organization.

Lead-based paint was used in homes until 1978. Most Chicago homeowners have not had their pre-1978 homes renovated to remove lead-based paint, so it continues to exist today. Less money directed at the persistent problem means thousands of older homes and apartments in Chicago still contain lead-based paint. Even when city inspectors find hazards, the city's foreclosure crisis is dragging out the already slow process of remediating homes in some of the city's hardest-hit communities.

If your child shows any evidence of exposure to lead-based paint, it is imperative to get that child tested. The experienced lead poisoning attorneys at Levy Konigsberg LLP can help get your family the financial resources needed to overcome the devastating effects of lead poisoning, and allow your child to live with financial independence and dignity as an adult. If your child has been exposed to lead at a young age, please call us or fill out the form on this website so we can determine whether you might have a case.