CORT First Friday Webinar: Lead Hazards in Housing - Advocacy to Address a Moral Outrage

Description

Presenter: Todd Pierce-Ryan, Lakeshore Legal Aid

The primary source of lead exposure to children is leadhazards in housing due to lead?based paint. According to the CDC, nationwide, “[a]pproximately 24 million housing units have significant lead-based paint hazards including deteriorated paint and lead-contaminated house dust. About 4 million of these are home to young children.” The rates of lead poisoning in Detroit are particularly obscene: 9% of children in Detroit have lead poisoning. Todd Pierce-Ryan of Lakeshore Legal Aid will discuss advocacy for both affirmative and defensive litigation related to leadhazards, including the potential for impact litigation and practical considerations (such as immediate steps to protect the child, evidence gathering, expert witnesses, emotional distress/mental anguish damages, separation of parent-as-client from personal injury claims of the child, and preservation of claims for the child).