BOSTON AP – A landmark jury verdict that could cost three former lead paint manufacturers billions of dollars is based on “old and well-established” law and should be upheld, lawyers for the state of Rhode Island told the state’s highest court in legal papers filed Monday.
The state says the companies’ appeal of the verdict represents their latest attempt to avoid responsibility for the public health harms of lead paint. They urged the state Supreme Court to uphold the jury’s decision so that the companies can begin cleaning up the roughly 240,000 homes in Rhode Island believed to still contain toxic lead paint.
