Environmental Injuries
The number of highly toxic and dangerous chemicals used in manufacturing and industry has grown to enormous proportions – as have the number of people injured by exposure in the workplace and at home. Long before Love Canal became a household name, entire neighborhoods were poisoned by uncaring corporations that fought with all of their considerable resources to deny responsibility. But not every injury takes place on such a large scale. Individuals are injured daily in the home, the workplace and at play.
Injury that occurs as a result of exposure to environmental toxins includes exposure to toxic landfill waste, pesticides, radioactive materials, lead based paint, asbestos, pesticides such as dioxin and DDT, dry cleaning chemicals, other solvents, electromagnetic fields from utility wires and equipment or major appliances, various drugs and pharmaceuticals such as DES and tainted L-tryptophan, common industrial chemicals such as benzene and PCBs, heavy metals and other chemicals such as mercury and arsenic, latex exposure, sick building syndrome, including mold/fungus, silica and silica-containing refractory products.
Children are particularly at risk for lead exposure, as they often play on contaminated grounds or, if they live in poorly maintained or older housing, can pick up lead on their hands from flaking paint. Their smaller body size and developing brain make children especially vulnerable to the dangers of lead.
These are the dangers presented by toxic exposure:
- various forms of cancer (lung, bladder, brain, kidney, leukemia, lymphoma, skin cancer)
- various forms of learning disabilities (ADD, ADHD, LD)
- teratogenic effects (effects on the fetus when the mother is exposed before or during pregnancy)
- respiratory effects (breathing difficulties, allergies and other similar conditions)
- gastrointestinal effects (stomach conditions)
- cardiovascular effects (heart problems)
- hepatic effects (various liver conditions)
- renal effects (various kidney effects including blood in the urine and other kidney problems)
- neurological effects (various nervous system disorders, including reflex malfunction and headaches
If you suspect that you or a loved one may have been exposed to dangerous environmental toxins, call your doctor immediately. You may also wish to contact your state’s Department of Public Health, a local branch of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the United States Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), or your state Department of Environmental Resources (DER) to report your suspicions and to obtain information.
DeLuca & Nemeroff, LLP handles legal claims on behalf of individuals and families coping with the illnesses created by exposure to dangerous environmental toxins. We offer compassionate representation, combined with aggressive advocacy on behalf of our clients. We invite you to contact us for a free, confidential consultation about your legal rights. DeLuca & Nemeroff, LLP represents patients throughout the United States, and we can help you, too, wherever you live.
For more information about the firm or for a free consultation with Aaron DeLuca, Rick Nemeroff or any of the lawyers at DeLuca & Nemeroff, LLP, please call us at 866.435.1831, or email us at info@delucanemeroff.com |