Just weeks after West Virginia’s drinking water was contaminated by a chemical spill, an environmental scientist discovered formaldehyde in a water sample taken from a Charleston restaurant. If you live in Charleston and sustained injuries from exposure to a dangerous chemical, our toxic torts attorneys can evaluate your case and help you seek the compensation you deserve.
Formaldehyde is colorless but gives off a strong odor. Exposure can occur through breathing in vapors containing formaldehyde, or absorption through the skin.
Though it is used in building materials and everyday products such as adhesives and industrial cleaners, the National Toxicology Program has identified formaldehyde as a “known human carcinogen”. People exposed to the chemical for longer periods of time are more at risk for cancer.
Sensitivity to formaldehyde varies from person to person and the amount of exposure, with short-term effects including:
- Watery, burning eyes
- Burning sensation in the ears, nose and throat
- Coughing
- Skin irritation
- Nausea
If you or someone you care about sustained injuries after being exposed to a hazardous chemical, you might be eligible to recover damages through a “toxic tort” action. Toxic torts are an area of personal injury law in which someone injured because of exposure to a harmful substance can pursue restitution from the party responsible for the exposure.
To find out more about how our attorneys can assist you with your toxic torts claim, please contact Jim Leach, L.C., or call 1-304-865-8530 today to schedule your no-cost consultation. We serve clients in or around the Charleston area.