Maryland Accident Law Blog
Earlier this month in a Maryland court, a 17-year-old Baltimore boy was awarded over $2 million by a jury after a case involving lead exposure. According to a report by WBALTV, the boy suffered permanent brain damage from lead exposure that occurred while he was living in a Baltimore house between the year of his birth in 1997 and 2001.
According to court documents, the owner of the house had not painted the house in many years, leaving a coat of lead paint exposed on the interior of the home on the 1600 block of East 25th Street in northeast Baltimore. The jury ended up finding the owner of the building as well as the property manager negligent for failing to keep the house up to code.
At trial, the boy’s attorneys submitted evidence that showed the following:
- The loss of four to five IQ points, as well as cognitive deficits, attention problems, and learning and behavioral issues;
- Last year, the boy had a 1.0 average GPA, was taking bridge classes, and was taking other measures to graduate on time, although it didn’t look likely; and
- The boy was tested for lead exposure and had more than double the amount of lead in his blood that qualifies as “lead exposure.”
After the family moved out, the landlord painted the home. However, when contacted by the boy’s grandmother, the landlord’s representative told her “too bad you didn’t tell us about this before you moved in.” The landlord’s own records confirm the fact that the interior of the home hadn’t been painted prior to the family inhabiting the home. And according to testimony from the boy’s family, there was chipping and flaking paint on the interior walls while they were living in the home.
The Dangers of Lead Paint
For years now, the dangers of lead and lead-based paints have been well known. However, prior to this societal realization that lead can cause myriad serious developmental problems, many homes were painted with lead paints. The government has taken care to disseminate the dangers of lead paint, which has included measures in building codes to ensure that the paint is no longer used, and that homes that previously used lead paint are made safe to live in.
However, some landlords allow their homes to slip through the regulatory cracks and don’t take these precautionary measures to make a home safe. In such cases, the landlord may be held liable for the harm caused to those living in the home.
Have You Suffered Due to Lead Paint Exposure?
If you or a loved one has recently been diagnosed with lead exposure or lead poisoning, the exposure may have occurred while renting a home that was not up to current code. If this is the case, you may be entitled to monetary damages to help compensate you for your injuries. To learn more, call 410-654-3600 to set up a free consultation with a dedicated Maryland personal injury attorney.
More Blog Posts:
Doctor Allegedly Sexually Assaults Second Patient, Maryland Accident Law Blog, September 2, 2014.
Woman Who Lost Husband and Two Sons When Home Depot Collapsed Sues Under Negligence Theory Maryland Accident Law Blog, August 20, 2014.