Help for Injuries From Toxic Exposures

When people inhale, ingest, and handle hazardous chemicals or pollutants, they can experience exposure-related illnesses and injuries. When negligent manufacturing or disposal practices caused the release of these hazards, the person harmed may be able to pursue a toxic tort claim against the entities responsible. Unfortunately, many of these parties are powerful agencies, companies, or organizations that will initiate complex legal battles to stop your story from being heard. That’s where our toxic tort attorneys can help.

If you or a loved one experienced injuries from toxic exposure, Bell Legal Groups’ attorneys are here to listen and hold the right party accountable.

The Problem of Toxic Exposures

According to an exposure science study, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that environmental exposure contributes to 13 million deaths annually. These dangers can be found in home-building materials, workplace solvents, chemical agents, and other items. They can also bioaccumulate in the environment as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), compromising water supplies and food sources.

Types of Injuries From Toxic Exposure

While it’s assumed the amount of harm from a toxin coincides with the type and length of exposure, people’s reactions to contaminants can differ, and there’s no exact calculation to quantify these injuries. Exposure to hazardous substances can cause chronic and acute effects, impacting one or more of the respiratory, reproductive, cardiovascular, urinary, nervous, immune, and metabolic systems.

Many chemicals are regarded as cancer-causing substances, but that’s not the only illness people living or working in a contaminated environment experience. Paraquat, a commercial herbicide, is linked to the progressive movement disease, Parkinson’s, and organic pollutants are known to cause neurological disorders.

How Contamination Injuries Occur

Environmental exposure involves contact with a hazardous chemical, biological, or physical substance in the air, water, food, or soil. There are countless sources of environmental contaminants, which means people living and working near these sites—industrial operations, energy production plants, military bases, or other polluting facilities—face numerous risks of illnesses, injuries, and diseases. Unlike acute injuries, serious illnesses caused by contaminated drinking water, air, or food sources often take months or years to manifest, complicating the investigative processes for people harmed.

Protecting People From Hazardous Compounds

No location is free of all chemical hazards, but that doesn’t excuse companies or agencies from improperly disposing of compounds or ignoring leaking storage tanks. Any party producing, handling, storing, or transporting potentially hazardous solvents must take its duty to protect the public seriously.

When manufacturers or chemical producers minimize, delay, or obscure information about spills, contamination, or pollutant practices, they put everyone at risk. People must take precautions around potential hazards to protect themselves from unnecessary harm, and they can also seek advocacy through legislative and legal action.

Safety Regulations

People raising awareness of environmental exposures through toxic tort liability claims help inspire legislation protecting consumers from chemical, biological, and environmental exposures. The EPA enforces pollution control and environmental exposure laws, but it relies on frameworks from various legislative acts to do so.

A few laws worth highlighting for their focus on public safety include:

• The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA): Addresses the manufacturing, processing, distribution, use, and disposal of commercial and industrial chemicals.
• The Pollution Prevention Act (PPA): Focuses on reducing pollution through cost-effective changes in production, operation, and raw materials to control industrial pollution at its source.
• Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA): Known as ‘Superfund,’ this act addresses the cleanup of hazardous sites, including Camp Lejeune’s contamination, and establishes liability for parties responsible for contamination.

Toxic Tort Lawsuits

While legislation aims to help prevent exposure injuries, toxic torts aim to give those harmed access to resources and recognition from the polluting corporation or organization. Some environmental regulations provide a basis for lawsuits, such as when a company is found in direct violation of specific statutes. Though the laws are on your side, it’s important to understand how toxic tort cases can be complicated by corporate pushback, latency periods, and strict evidentiary requirements. It’s also essential to know that you can turn to attorneys for help.

If a decline in your health aligns with a potential environmental exposure, you should seek medical attention immediately and then follow these steps:

• Remove yourself from the toxic environment, if possible.
• Document your symptoms and collect medical records.
• Request information about the toxin from your employer, local authorities, or government officials.
• Gather evidence of the hazard, if available (chemical labels, instruction sheets, containers, and pictures of polluting events, such as a pesticide spraying or train derailment aftermath).  
• If you suspect a long-term environmental issue, such as contaminated water or soil, record details about when the exposure likely began and the correlated health problems.
• Contact a toxic tort attorney to evaluate your situation and validate your claim.

If you’ve experienced an exposure injury from contamination, pollution, or waste disposal, don’t hesitate to reach out. Our team of attorneys is here to help you explore your legal options and hold negligent manufacturers, companies, or agencies responsible. Contact Bell Legal Group today to share your story.