Toxic Chemical Injuries in the Workplace

Most American workers today have no idea how many toxic chemicals they may be exposed to every day.  One study indicates that there are as many as 100,000 deaths and 390,000 injuries every year as a result of exposure to toxic chemicals in the workplace.  As tragic as these statistics are, it is important to know that there are options for victims of this kind of exposure to receive compensation for their costs and suffering.

Workplace Chemical Exposure

The fact is, just because a worker doesn’t know that there are toxic chemicals being used in their place of work doesn’t mean they aren’t there.  Every employer should have a list of those chemicals and the dangers involved from the suppliers who provide them.  This Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) explains all the toxic chemicals that make up the materials delivered to a company.  These MSDS sheets should be posted or made available to every employee upon request.

If there are toxic chemicals, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulates how they should be handled and in what quantities they are allowed.  However, no matter how safe a work environment is, there can be accidents.  If those accidents occur, they can result in workplace injuries, occupational diseases, and even death.

Symptoms of Toxic Exposure

Many times evidence of toxic exposure must be detected within the first few minutes after exposure before it is absorbed into the bloodstream and becomes much harder to identify.  Nausea, dizziness, muscle cramps, diarrhea, flu-like symptoms, fatigue, and more, are warning signs that often go undetected.  If you suspect toxic exposure, see a doctor immediately to be examined and receive treatment.

Worker’s Compensation

Every employer is required to carry worker’s compensation insurance to protect employees injured on the job.  When such accidents occur, the victims are covered for their medical expenses, lost wages, rehabilitation costs, and possibly more.  While these should be handled through the workplace, it may take the help of a workers compensation attorney to insure a victim receives all their benefits.

Toxic Chemical Exposure in the Public

In addition to workplace injuries, it is possible to be exposed to toxic chemicals in the public sphere.  Since dangerous chemicals, like benzene for example, are found in trace amounts in solvents, petroleum products, plastics, food preservation, and even carbonated sodas, any error in production or packaging, or any overuse or overexposure can also result in toxic injuries from benzene exposure and other such chemicals.  In those cases, victims may have the right to file product liability lawsuits against product manufacturers for poor production processes or premises liability lawsuits against an individual or company for allowing exposure to toxic chemicals while on their property.

Help from a Personal Injury Attorney

Those who suffer toxic chemical injuries or occupational diseases from exposure to toxic chemicals should contact an accident attorney immediately to pursue their right to file a worker’s compensation, product liability, or premises liability claim within their state’s statute of limitations on personal injury claims.  Anyone suffering these injuries due to someone else’s negligence has a right to representation and, generally, compensation.