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Chemical Exposures

Hazardous chemicals can be solids, liquids, or gases, seen or unseen. Very often chemical exposure occurs where victims are not even aware of their proximity to harmful substances. Only later do they start to notice symptoms, and even then they may never know that the cause of their illness was chemical exposure. Industrial workers, for example, are prone to long-running, low-level exposures to chemicals and toxins that damage their bodies slowly over time.

Asbestos and benzene are two examples of the kinds of invisible killers that many workers in construction, factories, and other industrial careers face every day. Some employers are aware of these dangers, and some are not. Regardless, both can be held liable in a court of law.

Asbestos
During the twentieth century, some 30 million tons of asbestos were used in industrial sites, homes, schools, shipyards, and commercial buildings in the United States. Many asbestos-containing products remain in buildings, ships, industrial facilities, and other environments where the fibers can become airborne. It is even possible that you could have been exposed by a family member, because microscopic asbestos fibers on their clothing can come off in your home.

Benzene
Exposure to benzene is toxic and potentially fatal. At high concentrations, benzene may cause the central nervous system to slow down to fatal levels. Benzene exposure has been linked to various forms of cancer, including acute myelogenous leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Exposure to benzene has also been linked to a group of conditions known as myelodysplastic syndromes, which involve dangerous changes in a person's bone marrow.

Manganese
Recent medical studies have related manganese used in welding to Parkinson's disease and nervous system disorders. Attorneys have filed lawsuits on behalf of workers poisoned by their welding and steel work. Manganese is a common metal used in welding in order to create steel. Welding joins pieces of metal by the use of heat and/or pressure. Welding is one of the most dangerous industrial activities. In addition to Manganese poisoning from toxic fumes, the dangers of welding include metal fume fever, fire, electric shock, compressed gases, and injury to the eyes, hands, feet, lungs, heart, kidney, and central nervous system.

Silicosis
Every year, 2 million workers in the U.S. are exposed to crystalline silica, which can cause silicosis, a disabling and sometimes fatal disease. About 300 deaths are attributed to silicosis annually. Inhaling airborne crystalline silica dust also has been associated with other diseases such as tuberculosis and lung cancer. However, silicosis is often misdiagnosed as pulmonary edema and pneumonia.

Vinyl
Exposure to the industrial chemical vinyl chloride has been linked to a rare liver cancer known as angiosarcoma. Vinyl chloride has been classified as a cancer-causing substance by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Should I Consult an Attorney?
If you or a member of your family have had adverse symptoms or side-effects from chemical exposure, then you may qualify for a lawsuit claim. Thousands of people have already filed claims. In America today, there are thousands of class actions and billions of dollars in unclaimed monies available for victims.