Working at a job that requires you to be exposed to toxic chemicals is dangerous. It’s that simple. Exposure in the form of inhalation, contact with the skin, or ingestion of toxic substances can cause serious injury and death.
Exposure to dangerous chemicals because of someone’s negligence is also serious business, and one-time exposure to toxins can be just as catastrophic as long-term exposure to a toxic chemical at work. If you’ve been exposed to a toxic chemical either at work or in daily life, you may have a toxic tort injury claim that entitles you to monetary damages for your losses like medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Toxic exposure cases are complex and require attorneys with expertise in toxicology, epidemiology (the study of health outcome and disease in populations), and other sciences. Most personal injury attorneys do not accept cases of toxic exposure due to the complicated nature of these claims. Another reason these cases are especially difficult is that they often involve more than one liable party. Examples of third party companies that often put people at risk for chemical exposure include landscaping, construction, and transportation companies. If an accident occurs due to the negligence of one of these companies, you may have a claim for damages.
Occupations With Risk of Toxic Exposure
There are numerous occupations that put workers at risk of toxic exposure more often than other jobs:
- Railroad workers
- Welders
- Factory workers
- HVAC technicians
- Electricians
- Appliance installers
- Painters
- Plumbers
- Carpenters
- Textile Mill workers
- Insulators
- Construction workers
- Transporters of hazardous materials
Even those employed in the most dangerous jobs have the right to a safe workplace. Employers are required to provide their employees with a safe work environment. However, there continue to be countless workers who suffer serious health issues each year. If you believe that your injuries are the result of toxic exposure in the workplace, you may be entitled to compensation.
Toxic Exposure Injury
Some of the most common injuries seen in toxic exposure claims include:
- Lung injury
- RADS (Reactive Airways Dysfunction Syndrome) injuries
- Poisoning
- Smoke inhalation injury
- Loss of sense of smell and taste
- Neurological and brain injuries
- Burns
- Many and various forms of cancer
- Mesothelioma
- Hodgkin’s disease
- Aplastic anemia
- Organ damage
- Damage to reproductive system
- Parkinson’s
Common Toxins
The most common toxic exposure cases involve:
- Asbestos
- Improper disposal of toxic waste
- Medical mistakes
- Defective drugs
- Pesticides
- Radiation
- Mold
- Radon
- Glyphosate in Roundup weed killer
- Lead
Chemicals that can cause serious injury include:
- Creosote
- Beryllium
- Carbon monoxide
- Sodium dioxide
- Tungsten
- Silica
- Manganese
- Photoresists
- Industrial Alcohol
- Polychlorinated Biphenyl
- Sulfur dioxide
- Pesticides
- Isocynates
- Chlorine dioxide
- Sulfuric acid
- Hydrochloric acid
Exposure to the toxins named here can result in immediate harm, but sometimes symptoms may develop more gradually. Immediate effects include death, dizziness, nausea, difficulty breathing or swallowing, allergies, neurological problems, memory and concentration problems and rashes. When the effects develop slowly, they can result in diseases such as mesothelioma, cancer or Parkinson’s.
Tragically, exposure to toxins may occur without someone even realizing that they are absorbing or inhaling a potentially dangerous chemical at home or in the workplace.
About Lynn Fugaro
