Since 1978 · Attorney Advertising
The first days after a lead test
The Frankel Law Firm has been helping victims of lead poisoning and serious personal injuries for more than 40 years, and we are proud of that legacy. If you have just learned that a child has lead in the blood, please call for a free consultation, then take the next practical step you can manage today. There is no fee to speak to us or for us to evaluate your potential case.
What to do in the first days
Speak with the child’s doctor. Most people with lead poisoning do not look or feel sick, and a blood test is the only way to know. If you already have a result, ask what the next test should be. This firm does not treat lead poisoning. If you do not have a doctor, New York City tells parents to call 311.
Call this firm as well. A phone call does not, by itself, make the firm your lawyers. Do not put a child’s name, date of birth, or blood-lead number on a public form.
Do not scrape, sand, or dry-sweep the paint, and do not vacuum loose paint with an ordinary vacuum. Disturbed paint makes dust. Keep the child away from peeling or damaged paint, and wet-wipe chips and dust on floors, windowsills, hands, toys, and pacifiers. Do not stay in a room while someone is disturbing paint.
Tell the owner, in writing, about peeling paint. If the owner does not fix it, or the work is not safe, call 311 and keep the complaint number. Immigration status does not affect a housing complaint to 311, and the complaint is free. If the building is NYCHA, report peeling paint to the Customer Contact Center at 718-707-7771 or MyNYCHA, and still call this firm — say it is NYCHA.
Keep the lab slip, the lease, and photos of windows and door frames. Do not throw them away.
While you wait
We cannot order a blood test or a repair — that is the Health Department’s role. County numbers outside the five boroughs are on our hotline directory. A longer checklist is on What to do now.
Michael Stewart Frankel and Reuven S. Frankel welcome your call.
There is no fee to speak to us or for us to evaluate your potential case.
Lead poisoning information
A telephone call or online inquiry does not create an attorney-client relationship. The firm represents a client only if it agrees to do so. Please do not send medical records until representation has been agreed. Attorney Advertising.