Child Lead Poisoning Verdict

Larry Buckfire

Contributor

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A New York jury awarded $21 million to three children who suffered lead poisoning injuries as infants. The lead poisoning came from peeling and chipping paint at the rental home. The verdict was against the landlords. The children are in special education and have other behavioral problems. The health department inspectors found lead based paint hazards at the property.

This is a great verdict not only for these families, but for all other famililies who live in sub-standard housing because of their socioeconomic status. All too often around the United States, the landlords of these properties collect rent every month and provide little or no maintenance or upkeep to their properties. In MIchigan cities like Detroit, Flint, Saginaw, Muskegon, Grand Rapids, the number of children every year still being lead poisoning is staggering. The health departments are overwhelmed and understaffed and do not have the means to hold these negligent landlords accountable for poisoning children. It is really only the civil lawsuits, like the one in New York that wake up the landlords because their pocketbooks will be affected, and this is all they really care about anyways.