Exposure to dangerous chemicals can cause serious and sometimes fatal illnesses. This exposure can happen because of defective products, exposure at work, or exposure at home if the toxins are in the air or your drinking water.
In many cases, someone is responsible for causing this exposure that makes you sick. When this happens, you can pursue a claim for compensation. However, there are some challenges in chemical exposure cases, including the difficulty of proving causation when you may not get sick until months or even years after coming into contact with the chemicals.
San Diego injury attorney, Matthew de Lira, has extensive experience representing clients in these difficult cases. We understand how to monitor for exposure, prove losses, and pursue a claim for damages. We’ll bring decades of experience in individual and mass tort litigation to your claims, and we’ll guide you in determining the best legal options to get the compensation you deserve. Call us at (858) 703-7048 for a free consultation today.
What are your rights after chemical exposure?
When you are exposed to dangerous chemicals, you may be able to take legal action against those who caused that exposure. However, it is up to you to prove:
- Who was responsible for your harm: This could be a product manufacturer, your employer, a property owner of the place where you went to work or school, or companies that pollute the air or water where you live.
- How the chemical exposure made you sick: This is often the most difficult part of a case involving toxic chemicals because you must prove the exposure caused an illness that may have multiple causes (like cancer) and that may not develop for many years.
- The harm that you suffered due to the exposure. This means you must show exactly what health issues you experienced because of the chemicals. For example, you could show the illnesses you developed and the impact they had on your life
- The compensation you are entitled to. You’ll have to prove the specific losses you experienced that you should be compensated for, including medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and emotional distress.
Matthew de Lira has the experience and skill you need to make a successful claim. We can manage source-tracing and conduct investigations to identify exposure sources, interface with public health authorities to identify known exposure risks, and work with scientific and medical experts who can testify as to how your exposure made you sick.
How to pursue compensation after chemical exposure
If you want to take legal action against a company that harmed you by exposing you to a dangerous chemical or toxin, you may be able to join your case with those of other victims joined with other victims who suffered a similar harm.
Both class action and mass tort cases allow many plaintiffs to pursue justice, although they work slightly differently, as class actions involve one representative action on behalf of a class while mass tort cases bring multiple separate claims before a judge that decides on shared issues.
You can also pursue individual claims in state or federal court, and your personal injury attorney in San Diego can work to negotiate a settlement or present compelling evidence at trial.
Matthew de Lira will help you understand the available options and choose the approach that’s right for you.
Contact a San Diego chemical exposure lawyer today
Don’t hesitate to get help when you’re exposed to dangerous chemicals. Contact Matthew de Lira to schedule your free consultation with a San Diego chemical exposure lawyer ready to fight for you.