Additional Reading on the Hazards of Lead Paint An estimated 4.4 percent of all children and a full 22 percent of African-American kids who live in older homes are affected by lead paint. About 64 million homes still contain lead paint, and 5 million to 15 million have been identified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as very hazardous. [In the air that they breathe., Spake, Amanda, Couzin, Jennifer, U.S. News & World Report, 12/20/99, Vol. 127, Issue 24]. Furthermore, the City of Cleveland ranks first in the nation among large metropolitan areas in the percentage of children with blood lead levels sufficient to cause permanent injuries. As of 2001, Cleveland had the highest percentage of children with lead poisoning. And, a 2003 study found that the Saint Clair-Superior, Glenville, and Fairfax neighborhoods had the highest percentage of lead levels in children in the City of Cleveland. Each of these neighborhoods had blood lead levels at or above 20% of the total tested. Citywide, 20 neighborhoods had lead poisoning rates of 10% or greater. Despite these startling statistics, relatively few lead poisoning lawsuits have been brought, and as a result the grave hazards posed by lead paint in housing have gone largely unremediated. In THIS working paper entitled "LITIGATION STRATEGIES IN LEAD POISONING LAWSUITS," Attorney Edward G. Kramer, Chief Counsel of The Housing Advocates, Inc., discusses the devastating effects of lead poisoning as well as the progression of lead poisoning litigation.
Links to Additional Lead Poisoning Information: |
