▁Le ad ▁Company " ▁was ▁used ▁since ▁ 1 8 9 1 ▁after ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁mer gers . ▁National ▁Le ad ▁changed ▁its ▁name ▁to ▁N L ▁Indust ries ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 1 . ▁ ▁California ▁lead ▁paint ▁li ability ▁case ▁ ▁N L ▁Indust ries ▁has ▁encountered ▁legal ▁problems ▁based ▁on ▁their ▁long ▁history ▁of ▁s elling ▁lead ▁paint . ▁Ex pos ure ▁to ▁lead ▁paint ▁can ▁cause ▁numerous ▁health ▁and ▁development al ▁problems ▁in ▁children ▁and ▁adult s , ▁and ▁its ▁use ▁has ▁been ▁b anned ▁or ▁restricted ▁in ▁many ▁countries . ▁ ▁In ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁the ▁Santa ▁Clara ▁County ▁Super ior ▁Court ▁ruled ▁that ▁N L ▁Indust ries , ▁along ▁with ▁Sher win - Will iams ▁and ▁Con A gra ▁were ▁joint ly ▁and ▁sever ally ▁li able ▁for ▁$ 1 . 1 5 ▁billion , ▁to ▁be ▁paid ▁into ▁a ▁lead ▁paint ▁ab at ement ▁fund ▁to ▁be ▁used ▁to ▁remove ▁lead ▁paint ▁from ▁older ▁housing . ▁The ▁judge ▁ruled ▁that ▁the ▁paint ▁companies ▁manufact ured , ▁market ed , ▁and ▁sold ▁lead ▁paint ▁without ▁dis clos ing ▁the ▁health ▁ris ks ▁to ▁the ▁consum ers ▁in ▁spite ▁of ▁" actual ▁and ▁construct ive ▁knowledge ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁harm ful ." ▁ ▁The ▁disposition ▁of ▁The ▁People ▁v . ▁Con A gra ▁Gro c ery ▁Product s ▁Company ▁et ▁al . ▁in ▁the ▁California ▁ 6 th ▁App ell ate ▁District ▁Court ▁on ▁November ▁ 1 4 , ▁ 2 0