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February 28, 2006

Judge to rule on punitive damages for lead-paint makers

PROVIDENCE -- A judge will announce this afternoon whether former makers of lead paint should be subject to punitive damages after a jury last week found them responsible for creating a public nuisance in Rhode Island.

Both sides wrapped up their arguments before Superior Court Judge Michael A. Silverstein today. The lawyers for the three paint companies began their arguments yesterday and finished this morning. They were then followed by lawyers for the state, which brought the landmark suit after thousands of Rhode Island children suffered from lead poisoning.

Silverstein is expected to issue his ruling at 2 p.m. If he finds for punitive damages, the jurors who heard the trial will be asked to determine how much. Otherwise, they will be dismissed.

Even without the punitive damages, the defendants could be facing a total bill of several billion dollars to clean up, or abate, the lead-based paints found on an estimated 240,000 houses in Rhode Island.

-- With reports from Journal environment writer Peter B. Lord

Posted by Andrea Panciera  at 1:46 PM | Permalink