Levy Konigsberg Attorney Comments on Flint Michigan Water Crisis Involving Lead

COREY STERN IS AN ATTORNEY WITH THE NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED LAW FIRM OF LEVY KONIGSBERG LLP. HE HAS OVER TWELVE YEARS OF TRIAL EXPERIENCE REPRESENTING PLAINTIFFS IN A WIDE RANGE OF CASES INCLUDING THOSE INVOLVING TOXIC TORTS.


For a year and a half, residents of Flint, Michigan were exposed to dangerous toxins in their drinking water, including lead. Recent lawsuits filed on their behalf will serve as an indictment on those responsible for the serious health consequences they’ve suffered.

According to Stern, “The lawsuit against the City of Flint will be difficult, because government entities are afforded certain protections that private citizens and corporations are not. But the suit certainly represents a bold and worthy attempt by Flint residents to right a wrong, and it sends a powerful message that everyone, even those that run the biggest cities in the country, have a duty to protect us and to protect our children from known environmental toxins.”

Lead poisoning, while most commonly associated with the ingestion of lead-based paint, can occur in other, less familiar ways, but is nonetheless as dangerous.

For 18 months, starting in April of 2014, the city of Flint got its tap water from its namesake river. But shortly after the switch, Flint residents complained about the water’s taste, smell, and appearance.

People say the water burned their skin and made their hair fall out. There were also E coli outbreaks and higher than acceptable levels of chemicals in the water.*

Tests that were performed indicated high, extremely dangerous levels of lead.**

Lead is a naturally occurring chemical element found in the earth’s crust. It is eternal and cannot be altered or diluted. Like all elements, lead will exist forever, in the same quantity that it exists today and has existed since the beginning of time. Lead is a neurotoxin, so, when certain quantities are absorbed by people, specifically children under the age of seven, lead causes brain damage. Lead poisoning is in fact brain poisoning.

In the case of Flint, Michigan, researchers from Virginia Tech blame the lead problem on the corrosive Flint River. Water from the river apparently damaged lead and iron pipes in Flint’s water system.

The lead poisoning attorneys at Levy Konigsberg LLP are available to discuss any potential case involving environmental and toxic exposure cases that have debilitating effects on individuals.

References:
http://michiganradio.org/post/attorneys-discuss-flint-water-class-action-lawsuit
** http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2015/10/10/hanna-attisha-profile/73600120/

IMPORTANT: If you believe that you or your child has been lead-poisoned, you should speak with an experienced lead poisoning attorney regarding your legal rights. Contact the lead poisoning lawyers at Levy Konigsberg LLP for a free consultation by calling our 24/7 toll-free hotline at 1-800-988-8005 or by submitting an email inquiry (see form above).

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