How Do People Become Exposed to Toxic Chemicals?
A toxic tort is a type of personal injury lawsuit that is filed when a person has been exposed to toxic materials or chemicals. The most common toxic tort cases filed are the result of a plaintiff being exposed to harmful materials in the workplace, in their own home, or through a pharmaceutical drug that was described as safe.
Toxic chemicals can be found essentially anywhere from the air we breathe to the materials that buildings are made of. The following list describes several ways victims become in contact with toxic chemicals and materials:
- In their own home as a result of contaminated groundwater, airborne pollutants, or other toxins. A common sign these may exist is the formation of “Cancer Clusters” which are neighborhoods with multiple cases of the same form of cancer.
- The poisoning of farmers or community members near farms from the exposure of harmful pesticides
- Exposure to carcinogenic inhaled particles such as silicon, coal dust, and asbestos
- Exposure to unsafe chemicals and solvents in the workplace (including time in military service)
- Through consumer products described as safe but contain toxic chemicals such as lead
- Chemical spills on roadways or near homes
- Welders who have become exposed to the metallic elements that are used on common welding rods
For a free legal consultation with a toxic torts lawyer serving Milwaukee, call 414-276-6666
Potential Risk for Population Near Nuclear Power Plants
There has been major concern of the long-term effects of living or working near a nuclear power plant in recent years. This has been a controversial debate that has yet to find a definite conclusion. One of the more well known publications on this topic offered evidence of elevated leukemia rates among children living near power plants (source:Baker and Hoel in the European Journal of Cancer Care, 2007). The debate continued after this paper and still is ongoing today.
However, there is an elevated risk in living or working near a nuclear power plant when there has been an accident in the past depending on the severity of the accident. During the accident, if radioactive materials are released into the environment there are significant potential health risks to a population if they become in contact with the materials. The risks are subject to the amount of exposure and the persons age (younger ages are generally higher at risk). The most common ways a person comes into contact with the radioactive is:
- contaminated food from the community
- contaminated drinking water
- through the air
- touching the material
Milwaukee Toxic Torts Lawyer Near Me 414-276-6666
Coal Fired Power Plant Pollution
Coal power plants are currently the top source of carbon dioxide emissions in the United States. Studies indicate that burning coal is connected to the cause of smog, acid rain, and toxic air pollution. Additional emissions that are potentially harmful to the environment and public health are sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, particulate matter, and mercury.
Coal Fired Power Plants have been scrutinized in the past for their link to “cancer clusters” (neighborhoods with multiple cases of the same form of cancer). According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Toxic Release Inventory, some coal-burning power plants release toxic hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, ammonia and hydrogen fluoride, lead and nickel compounds that may cause cancer and harm the environment.
If you or someone you know near a power plant has been exposed, or have suffered from cancer or severe illness contact Gruber Law Offices for a free case evaluation.
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What Should I Do if I Have Been Exposed to a Dangerous Chemical?
The truth about being exposed to toxic chemicals is that some people do not have side-effects for years after initial contact with the toxins. We highly advise you to not hesitate and call Gruber Law Offices at 414-240-1470 or toll free at 877-276-4878 to discuss what actions you could be taking. All consultations are free and you will never pay a fee until we win.
Call or text 414-276-6666 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
