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JURY FINDS THREE DEFENDANTS LIABLE IN LANDMARK RHODE ISLAND LEAD POISONING CASE
Three Members of the Lead Paint Industry will be Held Responsible for Public Health Crisis in the State of Rhode Island
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C., (February 22, 2006) - Motley Rice LLC, one of the nation's largest all plaintiffs' litigation firms, today announced victory for the State of Rhode Island in the closely followed case against former manufacturers of lead pigment. The suit alleged that four defendants, Atlantic Richfield, NL Industries, Sherwin-Williams and Millennium Holdings, helped to create a significant public health crisis in the state by manufacturing, distributing and promoting lead-based paint products. Rhode Island was the first state in 1999 to sue members of the lead pigment industry; an earlier trial ended in 2002 with a hung jury. After more than three months of trial and nearly a week of deliberations, the jury came back today with a verdict in favor of the plaintiffs, finding that three of the defendants, NL Industries, Sherwin-Williams and Millennium Holdings were liable.
The verdict reached today calls for the defendants to abate the nuisance that they helped to create. Jack McConnell, a senior member at Motley Rice, who vigorously represented the State of Rhode Island in its suit, applauded the jury's verdict. "We are extremely pleased that, after so long, justice is finally reached." According to the Rhode Island Department of Health, nearly 100 Rhode Island children are still lead-poisoned each and every month.
Attorney Fidelma Fitzpatrick of Motley Rice, who has been actively involved in the litigation, echoed McConnell's sentiments. "For decades, the State and the citizens of Rhode Island have been responsible for cleaning up a problem that they did not create. With this great victory, finally the industry will be forced take part in this clean up."
Motley Rice, together with the Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch and co-counsel Thornton & Naumes of Boston, Mass., tried the case.
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