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If You Are Harmed By Environmental Contamination, You Have A Claim

We often take for granted that we will have clean water to drink, healthy food to eat, and fresh air to breathe. As recent events around the country have shown, however, the contamination of our water and soil with toxic chemicals is a problem facing more and more communities.

Environmental exposure to toxins can happen in your home, neighborhood or workplace. This contamination can occur over a long time and can lead to serious and permanent health complications such as leukemia, Hodgkin’s disease, aplastic anemia, mesothelioma, other cancers, neurological problems and death. These health problems may develop months or years after the initial exposure.

In addition to long-term health problems, environmental contamination significantly decreases property values and prevents resale of property. Many individuals and families are placed in the impossible position of being unable to afford to move from their contaminated homes because they cannot pay for an additional residence while still obligated to pay a mortgage on the contaminated property.

Common Causes Of Toxic Contamination

Toxic chemicals are used in many commercial, industrial and consumer applications, including:

  • Industrial farming
  • Paper manufacturing
  • Plastics manufacturing
  • Dry cleaning
  • Mineral extraction such as drilling or fracking

Often, environmental contamination or exposure to toxins is the result of companies or individuals failing to properly store or dispose of chemicals used in manufacturing or processing, including benzene, lead, pesticides, nitrates, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), PFCs (perfluorinated compounds) such as PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as TCE (trichloroethylene). Such environmental contamination can also result from the failure to adequately treat wastewater.

Environmental contamination and toxic tort cases are difficult personal injury cases as they often involve multiple parties, including large corporations, with seemingly limitless resources. The cases are technical and require scientific experts. The experienced personal injury attorneys at the law firm of Donovan O'Connor & Dodig, LLP, understand the science applicable to toxic tort and exposure cases and can help determine if your exposure caused you compensable damages.

If you or a loved one is suffering from a serious disease that you believe was caused by exposure to toxic chemicals, you may have a right to financial compensation. Please call 413-663-3200 in Massachusetts or 802-442-3233 in Vermont for a free initial consultation or contact one of our lawyers online.

Our offices and meeting locations are conveniently located throughout western Massachusetts and southern Vermont, and our attorneys regularly travel throughout the region to meet with clients.

All cases are handled on a contingent fee basis — you will pay no attorneys’ fees unless we win compensation in your case.

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