New York Toxic Chemical Injury Attorneys

NY Personal Injury Lawyers

Twenty years ago a congressional committee prepared a report titled "Chemical Dangers in the Workplace." This report stated that "the threat posed to the health of workers by toxic substances causes an estimated 100,000 deaths and 390,000 illnesses every year."

Not much has changed in the last 20 years. Every day new chemicals are used in new industrial processes. Most of these chemicals aren't even tested before workers are exposed to them! You have a right to know what you are being exposed to and what their hazards are.

Under the federal Hazard Communication Standard, every chemical company that supplies a product to your employer must provide the employer with a Material Safety Data Sheet ("MSDS"). The MSDS must identify all hazardous ingredients in the product (except those that are trade secrets). This contains information regarding fire / explosion hazards, health hazards, reactivity, procedures for spills / leaks, respiratory protection and ventilation. By law, your employer must make available to you material safety data sheets for all chemicals that you encounter in your work environment.

Machine cleaning, underground mining, and surface mining, are just a few jobs where employees have increased chances of obtaining toxic chemical injuries, including:

• Silicosis (black lung) from silica dust, which can be caused from inhaling coal dust. Coal dust exposure can be from sandblasting or rock blasting in areas where coal is located. Quarry workers and coalminers are particularly susceptible to lung disease caused by coal dust exposure. People involved in road construction may also be exposed to silica dust, when blasting through coal laden areas to construct roads.
• Cancer and Brain Damage from creosote (used in railroad ties), naphtha (used in petrochemicals, solvents, preservatives, and equipment cleansers), spray paint (both thinner and solvent), and benzene exposure (usually found in industrial chemicals).

The above list is not all-inclusive regarding occupational diseases caused by exposure to toxins, and obviously other exposures can cause serious injuries including:

• Asbestos - The inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause serious illnesses, including malignant lung cancer, mesothelioma (a formerly rare cancer strongly associated with exposure to asbestos and fiber glass), and asbestosis (a type of pneumoconiosis).
• Lead Poisoning - Lead interferes with a variety of body processes and is toxic to many organs and tissues including the heart, bones, intestines, kidneys, and reproductive and nervous systems. Symptoms include abdominal pain, headache, anemia, irritability, and in severe cases seizures, coma, and death. Routes of exposure to lead include contaminated air, water, soil, food, and consumer products. Occupational exposure is a common cause of lead poisoning in adults.
• Environmental Contamination - In an industrialized society like ours, a wide variety of contaminants are released into the environment every day from residential, commercial and industrial sources. Many of these releases, also referred to as discharges, may not pose a threat to the public and the environment. However, a significant release of a contaminant/hazardous substance has the potential to impact human health or the environment.

If you're suffering from a toxic chemical injury, or a loved one is suffering from (or has been killed by) a toxic chemical, contact our New York lawyers today for a free confidential consultation and case evaluation. We can assist in determining the cause of injuries and the potentially responsible parties.