M a rc h 29, 2000
Page A 4
(Ch* Kotilani« (Dbeeruvr
Opinion
Portland
(D b a rru rr
A r tic le s d o n o t
n e c e s s a rily re fle c t o r
rep re se n t the v ie w s o f
(Tlje |J o r tla « b (D baeruer •
Picture this: A com pany m akes and
sells a com m on household product
that is dangerous, very dangerous,
and many children sufferbrain damage
from the product. The product is lead-
based paint. It has been identified as
a cause o f brain dam age w here it
chips, flakes, and w ears to dust.
Lead dust settles on our ch ild ren ’s
hands, on th eir pillow s, and on their
stuffed anim als. O ur children eat and
inhale lead paint remnants. If the child
ingests enough lead, there is a serious
risk o f brain dam age.
than eight years ago, the child cannot
hold the m anufacturer responsible.
W hat then?
T he child suffers brain dam age and
the future looks bleak. The brain
dam aged child suffers a lifetime injury
because o f toxic lead paint. But the
m aker o f lead paint gets o ff because
ofthe law that protects manufacturers.
In that setting, a ju ry will look at the
fault o f the landlord or ow ner o f the
property. If child resides in publicly
subsidized housing, a ju ry will also
look at the fault o f the public agency
that ow ns or subsidizes the housing.
T his is n ’t so m eth in g th at m ight
h a p p e n - it d id h a p p e n . A s th e
O regonian reported on January 31,
2000, such a law suit w as recently
s e ttle d in O re g o n . T h e p a in t
m a n u f a c tu r e r s
a v o id e d
accountability to the child, Latoya
H opkins, in this action. Latoya cam e
in contact w ith lead poisoning w hile
W hat happen w hen a child su tlers
b ra in in ju ry fro m a d a n g e ro u s
product? S h o u ld n ’t a ju ry consider
w hether the m anufacturer should be
held resp o n sib le for m ak in g the
dangerous product.
T hat would be the expected result,
but not in O regon. O ur legislature
p a s s e d a law th a t p r o te c ts
m anufacturers. U n d erO re g o n law .a
person who is injured by dangerous
product cannot sue the m anufacturer
if the product w as sold m ore than
eight years prior to the date o f in ju ry .
I f a child suffers brain-dam age in
O regon from a product sold more
living in a N orth Portland house.
Latoya m other rented the house w ith
assistance from the federal Section 8
h o u s in g p r o g ra m . T h e h o u s e
qualified for the program after being
inspected by H ousing A uthority.
W hen Latoya w as ten years old, she
w as found to have the highest blood-
lead level ever recorded in Multnomah
C ounty, exceeding levels that can
cause brain dam age, seizures, even
death.
W hile there are m any lessons from
this experience, one that m atters m ost
is th a t O r e g o n ’s p ro te c tio n o f
m anufacturers stands com m on sense
• Oregon’s children,
private landlords and
public agencies suffer
(©bseruer
by
D avid S lcerman
tOK iUtPVRtL.L>l>OBStR'tR
USPS 9 5 9 -6 8 0
Established 1 9 7 0
STAFF
E
d it o r
P
C
in
h ie f
,
u b l is h e r
Charles H. Washington
E d i T o it
Larry J. Jackson, Sr.
B
u s in e s s
M
anager
Gary Ann Taylor
on its head. T he child took the
landlord to court for failing to maintain
the house and the public agency for
failing to inspect the house. But the
problem started with the lead paint.
The m anufacturer-the one that m ade
the toxic lead paint and profited from
it-got o ff in this case w ith zero
accountability. I can only im agine
th a t th e la n d lo rd an d H o u sin g
A uthority felt as blind-sided by the
dangerous product as the fam ily o f
the child who suffered perm anent
brain damage.
W e talk about fairness in our hom es
and our neighborhoods. T he subject
com es up on the bus, at church-even
over a latte in a cybercafe. W e want
fair society and we w ant our kids to be
safe.
O reg o n ’s product liability law does
not prom ote fairness and it certainly
d o e s n ’t
p ro m o te
s a fe ty .
M anufacturers are insulated from
responsibility for injuries from lead
p a in t. O r e g o n ’s p ro tra c tio n o f
m anufacturers sacrifice kids and it
exposes landlord and public agencies
to large dam age claim s from injured
children. Lead from the sale o f lead
paint should pay for dam age. The
legislature has the pow er to change
the rule. Please contact your state
representative and state senator and
ask them to change the unfair law that
is now on th e bo o k s. U n til the
legislature changes the law, w e can
all look forw ard to m ore claim s by
brain- injured children against
L a n d lo rd s a n d p u b lic h o u s in g
agencies.
Note: D avid Sugarm an is a Portland
trial lawyer. His office address is 520
SW Sixth A ve Ste 920, Portland OR
97205. He can be reached at 503-224-
66-2 or dfs@ pspc.com
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