Maryland high court strikes down part of landlord lead paint liability shield

Maryland’s highest court has struck down a crucial piece of a 17-year-old state law that immunized landlords from childhood injury claims stemming from lead paint exposure. The state’s Reduction of Lead Risk in Housing Act, enacted in 1994 chiefly to combat childhood brain injuries caused by lead poisoning in older rental apartments, shielded landlords from litigation if they could prove that they had taken certain statutory measures to mitigate the risk of exposure, court documents show.