Law Talk brings you answers to questions that you, our viewers submit to be answered by our team of lawyers. In this edition of Law Talk, Attorney Megan Collins discusses child lead poisoning.

According to the New York State Department of Health (NYS DOH) no lead exposure is safe for children. Exposure to lead can cause problems with growth, behavior, and cognitive function. And can lead to kidney problems and hearing loss. Children under the age of six are most likely to be affected by lead exposure.

In most cases, these young children get lead poisoning form breathing in and swallowing dust and chips from lead paint form the floors, walls, and window sills of their older rental units.

Attorney Megan Collins

Collins says many landlords are responsible and diligent about testing and remediating the presence of lead in order to keep their renters safe, however, there are some that fail to act when they are aware of the presence of lead in their property. She states that some would say that there is no incentive for landlords to take corrective action since the New York State homeowners insurance policies do not cover injuries from lead paint poisonings. And this may be a factor in why New York State leads the United States when it comes to incidents of childhood lead poisoning.

There is some potentially good news as some legislation recently passed and some is pending to help provide incentives for landlords to test for and remediate lead in their rental units.

If you suspect that your child may have lead poisoning, please contact your pediatrician.

You can catch Law Talk on Wednesdays during 18 News at Noon. You can submit questions to be answered by emailing lawtalk@wetmtv.com. Megan Collins is based out of Corning and works with clients from around the region.

Below are the links to the County’s lead-poisoning information

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) when a child has a test to check for lead, a small amount of blood is taken from the finger, heel, or arm and tested for lead. And that a finger-prick or heel-prick (capillary) sample is usually