ANSWERS TO LEAD PAINT QUESTIONS: BALTIMORE MARYLAND LEAD DEFENDANT LAWYERS

www.charlesjeromeware.com             "Here to make a Difference."
Charles Jerome Ware, LLC  is a premier, Maryland-based, nationally-recognized and respected landlord lead paint and lead poisoning defense law firm.  For an initial courtesy consultation, contact us at (410) 720-6129. We can help you when you are being sued in a lead paint or lead poisoning lawsuit.
(1) How or where does Baltimore rank in terms of lead paint and lead poisoning claims ?
      ANSWER:  Very high. When it comes to lead paint and lead poisoning claims and lawsuits, Baltimore is virtually " ground zero." Lead poisoning in Baltimore is considered by many to be a public health crisis. Lead lawsuits are abundant in this city. Lead is particularly harmful in children under the age of 6 years.
(2)  What is lead poisoning ?  ANSWER :  " Lead poisoning", or "Plumbism", is caused by too much lead being ingested or inhaled into the body. It can cause brain damage, mental retardation, behavioral problems, anemia, liver and kidney damage, hearing loss, hyperactivity, developmental delays, other physical and mental problems, and in extreme cases, death.
(3) Where does lead come from ?  ANSWER:  Lead (Pb) is an earth  element [Atomic Number: 82] that has been mined and significantly produced for over 6,000 years --- since about 4,000 BC. Large lead mines in places such as Spain and Greece, etc., are known to have contributed significantly to the worldwide distribution of lead; and the Roman Empire consumed massive amounts of it in their societies for cooking utensils and vessels for carrying water and other liquids, for plumbing and viaduct purposes, in their food, and they even added it in abundance to their wine for drinking purposes, etc. Lead (Pb) is considered by many historians to be a major cause of the decline of the Roman civilization.  Lead lasts ... and lasts ... and lasts. It does not dissolve in water, does not dissipate, does not decay, and does not burn. It is guesstimated that more than 10 million tons of lead residue still exists in our environment. Today, lead comes from a virtually infinite number of sources, including for example: lead paint in pre-1978 built residential units, the air we breathe, the water we drink, pipes and other plumbing fixtures, dust, soil, playgrounds, commercial buildings, job and industrial, foreign-made toys, furniture, candies, foods and drinks, cosmetics, jewelry, hobbies, batteries, other products, etc.
   (4) What about lead in paint ?   ANSWER: It is estimated that far more than half of the houses and apartments built before 1978 in the United States contain at least some "legacy" (old) lead paint. It should be noted that --- up until 1951 in Baltimore, and until 1978 in the rest of the United States --- leaded paint was a legal product in great demand for residential use because it was washable and durable. It was repeatedly endorsed by the Federal, state (including Maryland), and local governments, and specified for use on government buildings until the mid-1970s. Its use peaked in 1922, and by 1940 the use of white lead pigments for interiors was on the way out.