If fiberglass has contaminated your home, then you have a challenging cleaning process ahead of you. It can turn a family’s world upside down. Fiberglass contamination can negatively impact children in the home.
Fiberglass is a common component in mattresses these days as it makes a good flame retardant. However, Zinus Mattresses have what we at Cueto Law believe to be a design flaw that releases fiberglass into many people’s homes.
This causes financial, medical, and emotional hardship.
Fiberglass contamination is hard enough if you’re single and live alone. Professional cleaners need to be hired. HVAC systems might need to be replaced, and many of our clients have even had to get treatment for medical problems caused by fiberglass.
The worst of all however is explaining fiberglass contamination to children.
How can Fiberglass Contamination Affect Children?
Children can be affected by fiberglass contamination in two ways, emotionally and medically.
The most important step to take is to ensure your children are healthy. Exposure to fiberglass can cause
- Rashes on skin
- Eye irritation
- Soreness of the nose and throat
- Stomach irritation
- Bronchitis and Asthma from long-term exposure
For more information on fiberglass from Illinois state please click here.
If you are concerned about your child’s health contact your pediatrician.
What about Emotionally?
Many of our clients have reported their children struggling with what has happened to their homes. Children can become emotionally distressed due to having to move to temporary housing and having to throw away treasured items.
During the cleaning process families have to throw away all soft belongings. This includes items such as
- Toys
- Stuffed Animals
- Baby Blankets
- Upholstered Furniture
- Carpets/Rugs
- Clothes
- Drapes/Curtains
- And much more
Many of our client’s children have lost sleep because they’ve loved a beloved stuffed animal or blanket.
What do I tell my children?
The best way to handle this situation is, to be honest with your children. Don’t give them more details than they can understand but be clear and sympathetic about what happened.
Use child-friendly language to explain that small pieces of glass got all over their toys and that keeping them can be dangerous.
Apologize and sympathize with them, but do not get upset and sad yourself. If children see you becoming emotional it might make them feel unsafe. Experts instead suggest that when children get upset, you be a safe calm place for them to come back to, a refugee from their emotions.
If they continued to struggle with emotions beyond the norm in this situation seek professional help. Many of our adult clients struggle with fiberglass contamination, and it can be even harder for children.
What do I do about the cost?
We at Cueto Law do not believe you should be forced to pay for the mistakes of Zinus LLC. That is why we are working with many other affected families with getting financial compensation.
Keep receipts for all associate expenses such as,
- Medical bills
- Professional Cleaning
- Replacing Soft Items
- Clothing
- Bedding
- Towels
- Upholstered furniture
- Carpets and Rugs
- Soft toys
- And More
- Temporary Housing
- Vet Bills
- And More
And if you have pets, don’t forget to contact your vet about fiberglass exposure. Click here to learn more!
To join our fight for justice, call Cueto Law at 618-277-1554 for a free consultation!
