A Baltimore jury has awarded a 17-year-old boy $2 million in a lead paint lawsuit earlier this month. The boy lived in his grandmother’s Boston home from birth until he was five years old.
According to court documents, the owner of the house had not painted the home in many years, leaving a coat of lead paint exposed on the interior walls. The boy suffered permanent brain damage as a result of his lead-based paint exposure.
The brain damage he suffered caused him to lose four to five IQ points, suffer various cognitive defects, problems with focusing and attention span, behavioral problems, as well as other learning disabilities. His grade point average (GPA) of 1.0 is directly related to his lead paint exposure. He takes many remedial classes to increase his chances of graduating from high school, which his family believes are low.
A blood test confirmed lead poisoning. His levels were more than two to three times the minimum required by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to classify a child as having lead poisoning.
For many years, lead was used in paint because it increased the lifespan of the paint, dried much quicker and helped resist corrosion in paint products. If ingested, kidney failure, serious nerve damage and developmental disorders, such as in this boy’s case, could result.
The jury found that the owner of the building, as well as the property manager, were negligent for failing to keep the house up to code. It is alleged that manufacturers of the lead paint and landlords who used it were aware of the risk of poisoning but ignored it because it was cost effective. These companies put profits before the health and safety of consumers.
If the landlord would have sealed the lead-based paint with an approved sealant and painted over the exposed lead paint, this injury could have been prevented. It would have cost the landlord a few hundred dollars, at most.
The landlord and the manufacturer knew or should have known about these serious risks and taken the necessary actions to prevent injuries.
If you or a loved one has recently been diagnosed with lead exposure or lead poisoning after renting a home, you may be entitled to compensation for your damages. For more information, feel free to contact one of our Gacovino Lake attorneys at 800-246-HURT (4878).
