Maryland Personal Injury Lawyers
You have come to this page because you want information on lead paint personal injury cases in Baltimore. This page talks about
- The tragic history of lead paint cases in Maryland;
- The awful suffering that has been caused by slum landlords that don’t care about their tenants;
- A rough idea of how much money these lawsuits can be worth;
- What you can do to bring a claim
If you want to talk to us about your case and whether your child might be eligible for settlement payouts for a brain injury from lead paint, call 800-553-8082 or tell us about your case online.
What Lead Paint Does
Lead is a soft, malleable metal found naturally in small amounts in the Earth’s crust. It has long been known that sufficient amounts of lead can be harmful to all people, but specifically to children.
Lead poisoning in children can cause permanent brain injuries, IQ loss, learning disabilities, and behavioral problems. In severe cases, exposure to lead can cause death.
The History of Lead Paint in Baltimore
We have known full well the risks of lead-based paint for over 100 years now. Many European countries banned lead-based paints for the inside of homes by 1909. As early as the 1920s in this country, paint manufacturers were looking at the safety of lead-based paint. But the world moved slowly despite the amassing evidence that lead paint causes brain injuries. In 1981, Baltimore City passed an ordinance banning the use of lead paint in the interiors of Baltimore buildings.
Homes built before the late 1970s/early 1980s may have lead-based paint—an estimated 74% of homes built before 1980. If the house was built before 1950, you could pretty much bet on it. In the 1980s and 90s, Baltimore landlords were fully aware of the hazards of chipping and peeling lead-based paint.
The key is to abate the premises by sanding the painted surfaces on the property and repainting or, at a minimum, covering them with non-lead-based paint so that lead will not escape as dust or flakes unless the surfaces are damaged. But the easier path for Baltimore landlords is to do nothing, leaving children exposed to lead-based paint, which can lead to permanent life-altering injuries.
Regrettably, this is precisely what many of these Baltimore landlords did. Why? Well, there are lots of reasons. But you better believe reason #1 is that the most profitable way to be a slum landlord is to put no money back into your rental properties. This is precisely what happened. The result was that many insurance companies were paying a fortune in Baltimore lead paint settlements and verdicts.
Lead Poisoning Lawsuit Settlements and Verdicts in Baltimore City
- 2019, Maryland: $1,841,000 Verdict. A 30-something woman spent one year in an East Baltimore apartment as a toddler. The apartment was part of a lead paint abatement measures study at the time. Kennedy Krieger Institute conducted it. One year earlier, tests revealed high lead levels in the apartment. This prompted renovations. The property owners assured the woman’s mother that the apartment was lead-free. During the family’s stay, Kennedy Krieger researchers found high lead levels. The woman claimed that her exposure to lead paint in the apartment left her with severe brain damage. Testing revealed that she had the cognitive abilities of an eighth grader. The woman alleged that Kennedy Krieger’s negligence caused her permanent brain damage. She claimed they conducted an unethical study and misrepresented the apartment’s lead levels to her mother. Kennedy Krieger disputed the claims. It argued that the woman received lead exposure from the previous apartments she lived in. The Baltimore City jury ruled in the woman’s favor. They awarded her $1,841,000.
- 2019, Maryland: $2,374,874 Verdict. A baby boy lived with his mother and grandparents in an apartment. His blood tests revealed high lead levels. One year later, the family moved out. Upon entering grade school, the boy received ADHD and bipolar diagnoses. He also experienced behavioral issues. The boy repeated three grades. However, he graduated high school. The now 20-something man had struggled to complete online college courses. He alleged that the property owner’s negligence caused severe early lead exposure. The man claimed he failed to monitor paint conditions and warn his family that not all the lead paint was removed. His medical expert testified that his lead exposure caused his IQ to drop 10 points. The property owner denied negligence. He argued that he did not need to address paint issues unless tenants contacted him. The Baltimore City jury ruled in the man’s favor. They awarded $2,374,874.
- 2019, Maryland: $1,200,000 Verdict. A woman resided in a Baltimore home in infancy. She received significant lead exposure. Her family moved out when she was two. The now 25-year-old woman sustained permanent brain damage. She experienced cognitive deficits. The woman alleged that the property owner’s negligence caused her injuries. She claimed they failed to warn tenants of the presence of lead paint on their properties. The Baltimore City jury ruled in the woman’s favor. They awarded her $1,200,000.
- 2019, Maryland: $2,200,000 Verdict. A then 2-year-old boy lived in a Baltimore apartment for five months. Testing that occurred after he moved out revealed elevated blood lead levels. The now 24-year-old man sustained permanent brain damage. He experienced cognitive deficits. The man alleged that the property owner’s negligence caused his injuries. He claimed they failed to remove the lead paint and warn his mother of its presence. The Baltimore City jury ruled in the man’s favor. They awarded $2,200,000.
- 2012: Jury award $1,291,696 – Woodland v. Housing Authority of Baltimore City (the child had a lead level of 13 – expert testified infant child lost 5-7 IQ points
- 2011: Jury award $5,100,000 – Hazelwood v. City Homes (a huge verdict that was reduced to $1.25 million)
- 2011: Jury award $1,042,300 – Flowers v. Amernich (blood levels as high as 73 – defendant was uninsured and represented pro se, so you have to question whether there was a recovery)
- 2010: Jury award $4,643,000 – Fulgham v. McCutcheon (the award was to brother and sister; reduced to $2.4 million and overturned on LGTCA on appeal
- 2010: Jury award $20,825,000 – Carter v. Baltimore City Housing Authority (verdict substantially reduced by the cap on non-economic damages)
Hiring a Lead Paint Lawyer to Fight for You
If your child has been exposed to lead-based paint from a rental property or if you are a lawyer with a client who has suffered a lead paint injury and are looking for lead counsel (in Maryland or elsewhere), call our Baltimore lead paint lawyers at 410-779-4600 or 800-553-8082 or click here for a free Internet consultation.
More Information for Lead Paint Victims
- Maryland’s Consumer Protection Act (one legal path to stop these landlords from taking advantage of people)
- Tell Me More About the Value of Our Case
- How a Claim in Baltimore City Will Proceed and What I Can Expect There
- Wanabana lawsuits for lead in baby food claims in 2024