We’re surrounded by chemicals every day, from the dish soap we use for cleaning up to the medicine which helps us heal from illnesses. While some chemicals are beneficial, some are dangerous, especially at high doses. When chemical exposure happens, serious injuries can happen. When the chemical exposure and the injuries it causes are caused by someone’s negligence, those who are injured may have a claim.
What Is Chemical Exposure?
Chemical exposure happens when someone comes into contact with a dangerous substance or dangerous amounts of a substance. Exposure can happen through direct skin contact, through ingestion (swallowing a dangerous substance), or can occur through the environment (such as air and water contamination).
In Miami and other parts of South Florida, chemical exposure can occur in many ways:
- In the workplace, chemicals may not be secured correctly or staff may not get adequate training or PPE to help them stay safe
- In homes and buildings, the chemicals used to renovate or build the property may be off gassing or producing dangerous air pollution
- A truck carrying dangerous cargo may be involved in a truck accident, spilling flammable or toxic chemicals, causing ground or air pollution that can affect a whole area
- An industrial or manufacturing site may experience a chemical spill, affecting everyone in the area
- Fields, forests, and other outdoor areas may be sprayed with pesticides or other chemicals, impacting nearby homes
- Makers of cleaning products and other consumer products may be negligent in listing all ingredients or providing good warning labels, potentially causing exposure
Chemical exposure can have serious consequences. The impact depends on the substance involved and exactly how exposure occurred, but chemical exposure can lead to:
- Burns and scarring
- Respiratory distress
- Dermatitis and skin irritation
- Poisoning
- Eye injury
- Birth defects
In some cases, injuries occur soon after exposure, but in some cases it can take years to develop symptoms. Some people who are exposed to known carcinogens, for example, can develop cancer years or decades after they encountered an unsafe substance.
What Should I Do If I’m Exposed to a Potentially Dangerous Substance?
If you experience any symptoms after using a consumer product or if you believe you may have been exposed to a toxic chemical, seek medical advice. In Florida, you can contact a poison control center for help if you’re not sure what to do.
If possible, try to keep as much evidence and documentation as you can. If you’re being evacuated from your home because of a spill, for example, note the time and date and any information you can. If you’re injured by a consumer product, take photos and keep the product and receipt. The more information you have, the more evidence your attorney may have for your claim.
Do I Have a Claim?
If you have been exposed to a dangerous substance and have suffered injuries because of it, you may have a claim if someone’s negligence played a role in your injuries. Since every claim is different and since it can be difficult to trace why an exposure happened, especially if an illness took years to develop, working with an experienced attorney is important. An attorney can tell you whether you have a claim and can pursue compensation, if you qualify, for your medical bills, lost income, and other losses.
With Flaxman Law Group, it doesn’t cost anything to find out whether you may have a legal claim. If you have been injured, you can simply set up a free, no-obligation case consultation with Flaxman Law Group by calling 866-352-9626 at any time. Our team has over 60 years of combined experience and has already recovered over $100 million on behalf of clients, so you can speak to an experienced attorney when you call. Or you can contact us online to speak with a products liability attorney about your potential case.