Exposure to lead paint is a dangerous and widespread health epidemic in the United States. The CDC estimates that 4 million homes in the U.S have children that are being exposed to lead. Many of those homes are located right here in Baltimore.
In 1995, two twin girls were born in Baltimore. In 1996, the family moved into rental property, a row house in northwest Baltimore. The Landlord painted the property before the family moved in, but he didn’t take the time to remove old, peeling paint first. Because there was old, flaking paint under the new, fresh paint, it didn’t take long for the paint all over the house to chip, flake and fall to the floor.
The twin girls’ mother had no idea that this paint contained lead, and that her daughters were being exposed to dangerous amounts of lead every day while they learned to crawl and walk.
In October 1997, after the young girls and their mother had been living in the Landlord’s rental property for almost two years, the twin girls’ blood was tested for lead. Both girls were found to have lead levels in the 20’s, which is more than 400% higher than the current action level for pediatricians set by the CDC. The girls were continuously exposed to the dangerous and toxic lead in the rental home until April 1998 when they moved out of the property.
In April 1998, one of the twin girls was diagnosed with a speech disorder, and needed special education throughout her time in school. Testing by a neuropsychologist when the one twin was 19 years old showed that she had the reading ability of a 4th grader, and that her IQ was lower than 94% of people her own age. Her sister had behavior problems starting around age 3, which continued into her adult life and she was suspended from school numerous times. She also had difficulty getting and keeping jobs due to her difficulty with behavior.
The mother of the girls alleged in their lawsuit against the Landlord that they were poisoned by lead from his property, and that lead poisoning had caused their learning and behavioral problems. The mother and daughters settled their case against the Landlord before trial for $1,900,000.
If you believe that your child has been exposed to toxic lead paint due to the negligence of a Landlord or property owner, call The Yost Legal Group at 1-800-YOST-LAW (967-8529). The Yost Legal Group is a law firm with over ten years of experience representing children who were poisoned by lead and who will suffer from the negative effects of lead poisoning for the rest of their lives.
The attorneys at The Yost Legal Group are experienced professionals ready to investigate your claim with compassion and determination. Call today for a free consultation.
The Yost Legal Group – Experienced Attorneys Dedicated to Protecting Your Rights