Lead Poisoning Lawsuit Settlement Amounts

Companies sued for lead poisoning may offer a settlement to resolve the case. Lawsuit settlement offers will come through a person’s lead poisoning lawyer. The plaintiff can accept or reject these offers, although a lawyer will make recommendations.

Another way to resolve a lead poisoning lawsuit is through a verdict award. A judge or jury determines verdicts and awards in civil cases. Lead poisoning cases have been resolved in both verdicts and settlements.

Lead is naturally present in the air, soil and water. However, industrial sources can significantly increase these levels. These sources of lead include contaminated areas, mining, smelting and refining. Lead exposure can be extremely toxic to people and animals. It is believed that no degree of exposure to lead or lead paint is safe. 

Using certain products can lead to exposure:

• Ammunition
• Batteries
• Ceramics
• Cosmetics
• Gasoline
• Lead-based paint
• Pipes and plumbing supplies
• Solders (metal alloys used to join pieces together)

Lead exposure can affect almost every organ and system. Young children 6 years old and under are most at risk of lead’s harmful effects. Lead is particularly dangerous to children because their bodies absorb more lead than adults do. Their brains and nervous systems are also more susceptible to lead’s damaging effects. 

Babies and younger children may be exposed to lead in several ways:

• Eating and drinking from tableware containing lead
• Inhaling lead-based paint dust or lead-contaminated soil
• Ingesting lead-based paint chips or flakes
• Consuming food or spices with lead contamination
• Playing with toys that have lead-based paint

Even small amounts of lead in the blood can negatively affect a child’s health. They may develop the following:

• Anemia
• Behavioral and learning problems
• Coma
• Death
• Hearing issues
• Hyperactivity
• Impeded growth
• Lower IQ
• Seizures

Over time, repeated lead exposure can cause the metal to accumulate in bodies. The body stores accumulated lead in the bones. During pregnancy, both calcium and lead are released from the bones, exposing the fetus. This also happens during breastfeeding. As a result of this exposure, serious health effects can occur, including:

• Premature birth
• Low birth weight
• Damage to the brain, kidneys and nervous system
• Increased risk of learning or behavioral issues
• Danger of miscarriage

In addition to pregnant women, lead can harm other adults, potentially leading to:

• Cardiovascular problems, including high blood pressure and hypertension
• Reduced kidney function
• Reproductive problems in men and women

Many people harmed by lead are filing lawsuits to recover damages that can compensate them for their losses.

Lead poisoning lawsuit settlement amounts vary based on numerous factors. These include the plaintiff’s injury, the defendant’s alleged actions and jurisdiction. Lawyers with lead poisoning lawsuit experience will listen to the details of your case. 

Lawyers who guarantee  verdicts or settlement amounts may be scammers. When choosing a lead poisoning lawyer, take into account their experience with this specific type of litigation in a variety of courts.

California lead poisoning settlement

In July 2019, plaintiffs and defendants reached a $305 million settlement in California. The settlement resolved almost 20 years of litigation that eventually found Sherwin-Williams Co., NL Industries, Inc. and ConAgra Grocery Products Co. responsible for hiding the dangers of lead and encouraging the use of lead paint in homes despite the knowledge it was toxic to humans.

Motley Rice served as lead counsel for the plaintiffs in a 2014 trial that found the defendants liable for knowingly promoting hazardous products. The defendants appealed the decision multiple times, trying to overcome the verdict against them. The Supreme Court of California and the U.S. Supreme Court both declined to review the case in 2018. 

As a result, the original verdict stands. The companies were held responsible for marketing and promoting lead paint. They were required to pay to remove the lead paint from tens of thousands of homes.

Ten California cities and counties were harmed by the defendants’ promotion of toxic lead pigment:

• Alameda County
• The City of Oakland
• The City and County of San Francisco
• The City of San Diego
• Los Angeles County
• Monterey County
• San Mateo County
• Santa Clara County
• Solano County
• Ventura County

Thousands of children in these cities and counties were exposed to toxic lead paint. Many suffered harmful effects, including severe neurological damage and developmental delays. 

These areas will share the settlement proceeds according to the number of homes with lead paint in their jurisdictions. Each jurisdiction will then launch local clean-up programs.

Other lead poisoning settlements

Lead poisoning cases continue to be filed, and some have settled. Here are some examples of settlements reached in other lead poisoning cases:

• March 2024: A landlord in Syracuse, New York, agreed to pay $175,000 to the families of 11 children who suffered lead poisoning while living at his properties. According to ​​New York Attorney General Letitia James, there have been 413 violations of lead safety laws at 19 Syracuse properties owned by this landlord over eight years. Not a Motley Rice case.
• June 2023: A California family reached a $10 million settlement with the property manager of their rental home. Their child was diagnosed with permanent brain damage from severe lead poisoning. The cause was the property manager’s failure to remove lead-based paint from their home. Not a Motley Rice case.
• January 2023: Four Rhode Island landlords agreed to a $700,000 settlement to resolve claims that they disregarded lead exposure dangers at their rental properties. Children living there tested positive for the toxin over the past decade. One child was exposed to lead-based paint from the age of 16 months. He suffered permanent brain damage, is unable to speak and will need extensive care for the rest of his life. Not a Motley Rice case. Not a Motley Rice case.
• November 2022: A landlord in Buffalo, New York, was ordered to pay $5.1 million in restitution and damages to fund ongoing childhood lead poison prevention programs. The landlord owned and managed over 150 rental homes in Buffalo, primarily inhabited by people of color with low incomes. Multiple cases of childhood lead poisoning were reported in seven of those families. Not a Motley Rice case.
• November 2021: A federal judge approved a $626 million settlement for victims of the 2014–15 lead water crisis in Flint, Michigan. At least 12 people died in 2014 when Flint switched its water supply from Lake Huron to the Flint River to cut costs. The water in the Flint River was not treated properly and caused lead to leach from the city’s water pipes. Motley Rice represented multiple families in the litigation.

An attorney with experience litigating  lead poisoning cases  will fight for your family’s right to recover damages for health effects caused by deadly lead exposure.

Lead is a toxic element that is especially harmful to infants and young children, even before birth. Lead poisoning occurs when people are exposed to high levels of lead by eating, drinking, touching or breathing it. “Lead poisoning” refers to any detectable amount of lead in a child’s blood.

Children under 6 years old are at a higher risk of experiencing the harmful health effects of exposure to lead. This is because younger children are still developing. They are also inclined to put their hands or other objects into their mouths, making them more likely to be exposed to lead than older children.

Lead can negatively affect many parts of a child’s body, including their blood, brain, digestive organs and nervous system. These children may experience behavioral problems, comas, delayed growth, hearing problems, hyperactivity, learning disabilities, lower IQs, seizures and even death. Even small amounts of lead can cause persistent cognitive damage. At higher levels, it can lead to numerous irreversible health problems.

If you believe you or your child has lead poisoning, reach out to a lawyer with experience in lead poisoning cases.

Motley Rice has represented numerous people whose health has been negatively affected by lead poisoning. 

Our attorneys have litigated lead poisoning cases on behalf of government entities against the lead pigment industry, including in California and Rhode Island. We also represent families whose children are suffering with the effects of lead exposure. 

We are proud of our strong relationships with lead paint researchers, scientists and doctors who support efforts to compensate victims of childhood lead poisoning and prevent future harm.

Read more about our toxic exposure experience.