A Milwaukee federal jury awarded $2 million each to three men who sued three major paint and pigment companies claiming they were responsible for the lead poisoning they suffered as toddlers in their homes.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported the jury agreed with the plaintiffs’ claims Friday after a three-week trial. Sherwin Williams, Armstrong Container Corp. and DuPont will each pay a portion of the award depending on their market share. That will be determined next week in the trial’s second phase.
The plaintiffs didn’t have to prove which specific product poisoned them under Wisconsin’s unique “risk contribution theory” established by the state’s Supreme Court in 2005.
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The companies had to prove they were not marketing or providing their products in Milwaukee at the time of the plaintiffs’ claims.
Sherwin Williams is appealing.
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