$12.75M settlement reached in lead suit

NEW YORK, June 26 (UPI) -- A New York family whose 19 children experienced lead poisoning living in subsidized housing settled with the city for $12.75 million.

"We're at peace now," Rachelle Scott, whose two children, three siblings and 14 nieces and nephews suffered permanent damage from lead poisoning, told the New York Daily News. "We've had enough aggravation. We have lots of closure."

The settlement, most of which will be paid by the city and landlord Bertram Fields, was the largest lead paint settlement in New York state, the Daily News reported. It was announced as both sides were about to rest at the end of a two-month trial for a Scott family lawsuit.

Lead poisoning causes learning disabilities, as well as attention and behavioral problems. Only one of the 19 Scott children graduated from high school, the Daily News reported.

"This was a complex case with significant factual and legal issues," city attorney Philip Rizzuto said, adding the settlement was "in the best interest of all parties."