A lawsuit against the entity responsible for your exposure to toxic chemicals could help you recover for your injuries.
In modern society, we are surrounded by items that could potentially hurt us. From the cleaning products we use to the food we eat to the medicine that we take, there are many potential sources of exposure to hazardous chemicals and other substances. If someone develops an illness or is injured from a toxic chemical, he or she may be able to file a lawsuit against whomever is responsible.
This type of lawsuit is known as a “toxic tort” case. A tort is a word used to describe many different kinds of personal injury cases; it essentially means that one person was hurt through the negligence or recklessness of another person or entity. A toxic tort is a personal injury case that is based on a person’s exposure to some sort of toxic substance. This could include anything from contaminated groundwater to asbestos to chemicals in a workplace to mold or lead paint in a home.
Toxic tort cases can be brought against any organization or entity that is responsible for the victim’s exposure to the chemical or hazardous substance. For example, if a company dumps waste near a town’s water source, that company could potentially be sued for any resulting injuries. If a landlord doesn’t keep a rental property free from mold and lead paint, tenants who are injured from exposure could file a lawsuit for their illnesses or injuries. A manufacturer who produces something with a toxic chemical or substance — such as the companies that made products that contained asbestos — could be sued for damages if people are injured from using their product.
Toxic tort cases are often unique from other types of personal injury cases because a large number of people may have suffered the same type of illness or injury from exposure to the chemical or substance. Victims may band together and file what is known as a class action lawsuit — where a number of plaintiffs with similar injuries file a joint claim against a defendant. Some jurisdictions have special courts set up specifically to handle certain toxic tort claims. Because there can be so many of a particular type of case, this system makes sense to help move claims through the legal process more quickly.
One of the trickier aspects of toxic tort cases is getting around the statute of limitations. This is the time limit that a person has to file a case, which is usually two years for a personal injury case. In typical personal injury cases — like car accidents — it is easy to know when the clock starts running for the statute of limitations (when the accident occurs). But in a toxic tort case, a person may not start to develop symptoms of an injury or illness for many years after they were first exposed. In that situation, a skilled personal injury attorney can argue that the clock starts to run only once they knew that they had been injured — when the problem was discovered.
If you have suffered an injury or illness due to exposure to a toxic chemical or other substance, know that there is help — and that you may be able to recover for your losses. Contact the Law Offices of Larry H. Parker today at 800-333-0000 or info@larryhparker.com. We will help make sure that you get the money that you deserve for your exposure to toxic chemicals, and we will never charge a fee unless we get money for you!
