Environmental / Toxic Exposures
Environmental contamination and exposure to toxic substances are serious problems in North Carolina. Leaking underground storage tanks have contaminated our wells and water supplies with dangerous, life-threatening chemicals such as benzene and methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE). All too often, factories and industrial facilities have carelessly released hazardous by-products such as tricholoroethylene (TCE) or perchloroethene (PCE) into the environment. Frequently, these chemicals find their way to private land and sources of drinking water. Even office and manufacturing environments may harbor substances which present serious health consequences.
Numerous federal statutes and state laws are available to provide protection against these violations, and to permit recovery for the resulting harm. Claims may be asserted for health-related personal injuries, such as cancer or respiratory diseases. Recovery for the costs of medical monitoring of health risks and devaluation of property may also be available. Certain laws permit relief in "strict liability," even when the offending party was not negligent in releasing the pollutant.
The firm has substantial experience in representing individuals who have been injured by exposure to toxic substances. We have been involved in litigation against the major oil companies for their involvement in the MTBE contamination of a community's drinking water. We have represented homeowners who have been forced to evacuate residences after gasoline spills. We have years of experience in serving thousands of workers who have been exposed to deadly chemicals in factories and plants.
We draw upon long-standing relationships with experts in the fields of medicine, toxicology, hydrology, property appraisal and other disciplines in order to assess the strength and merit of a case. In appropriate situations, we team up with other lawyers whose practice is exclusively environmental litigation. The types of cases we handle run the gamut, from the individual family which has been exposed to toxic substances, to entire communities facing very serious and widespread environmental problems.
We are prepared to help North Carolina citizens evaluate their potential claims against polluters, and to vigorously prosecute lawsuits for aggrieved individuals and communities.