Toxic Torts

Bringing Toxic Tort Claims for Personal Injury or Death

Salt Lake City Toxic Exposure Attorney

Whether you are a worker injured in a chemical spill or a homeowner suffering from the effects of mold or asbestos, exposure to toxic materials can result in serious pain, loss of bodily functions and other long lasting negative effects on your health. Some toxic tort events can even result in wrongful death.

Rasmussen & Miner handles toxic tort and other personal injury claims for clients living and working along the Wasatch Front, including the Greater Salt Lake City area and other communities in Davis County and other Utah Counties. Contact us today for an evaluation of your claim.

Liability and Compensation: Who Is Responsible?

Our toxic tort lawyers offer over 20 years of experience fighting hard on behalf of victims injured or killed in negligence accidents. Through careful examination of the facts we will determine who bears responsibility for the accident. Who else was involved in handling chemicals? Was improperly designed and maintained machinery involved? Did an employer properly post a chemical company’s mandatory safety information? Did a property seller provide required disclosure for mold, asbestos or other hazardous material?

Common Toxins Leading To Injury and Litigation

It seems that every city in America contains some type manufacturing facility, refinery or chemical waste processing facility. These are such common sites that many of us don’t stop to question whether they are dangerous. Unfortunately, these operations are often responsible (or have been in the past) for releasing dangerous toxic substances into public water supplies, the air and soil.

Of course, Americans are also still paying the price for dangerous consumer products and building materials that were outlawed decades ago yet continue to pose hazards in our homes and surrounding areas. Examples of toxins we commonly encounter include:

•         Asbestos (found in homes and older buildings)
•         Lead-based paint (homes and older buildings)
•         Pesticides (found in soil and seeping into ground water)
•         Industrial chemicals (soil, air and ground water)
•         Dry cleaning solvents (air, soil, ground water)
•         Toxic materials improperly disposed of in landfills (ground water, soil)

The examples listed above are just the ones that we have known about for years and that frequently lead to Utah toxic torts litigation. It may not be long before products that we currently use everyday may be banned for their impact on human health and the environment (plastics being a notable example).

Defendants in Toxic Tort Cases

Who can be held liable depends on the toxic substance and the method of exposure. This is one of the reasons why it’s important to speak with the experienced team at Rasmussen & Miner before making any assumptions about your Utah toxic torts case. Here are some examples:

•         Owners of buildings can be held liable for the presence of harmful substances (like toxic mold) when visitors to that facility become injured or ill
•         Product manufacturers can be sued for the dangerous chemicals in their products
•         Manufacturing facilities can be held liable for polluting air, soil and water around their plant with toxic substances
•         Homeowners remodeling their houses can be held liable if they don’t hire licensed experts to safely remove lead paint and asbestos
•         The U.S. government can be held liable for exposing military personnel to asbestos, agent orange and other toxic substances during their tours of active duty (these cases often play out decades after the fact)

Elements of a Toxic Tort Case

For a plaintiff to be successful in toxic tort litigation, he must prove three elements. First, he needs to show that the identified substance is dangerous and harmful (often not a problem). Second, he needs to demonstrate that he was exposed to the dangerous substance (including frequency and duration of exposure). Finally, he needs to show that exposure to the substance caused him harm.

One of the difficulties with toxic tort cases is the passage of time. Some toxic substances, like asbestos, can lie dormant in the body for decades before causing mesothelioma and other serious lung issues. It can be very difficult to link one’s current health problems with exposure that might have occurred nearly half a century before. For this and other reasons, it is critical to work with an experienced and skilled Utah toxic torts attorney, as professionals who focus on this area of law understand how to bring a strong case on behalf of someone harmed by exposure to toxic substances.

Why You Need an Experienced Legal Advocate

Identifying every source of liability in a toxic tort case is a crucial component in pursuing maximum compensation on behalf of our clients. The toxic exposure attorneys at our firm ask the right questions and dig deep to find the answers that help us identify all potential sources of liability in a case. We work with toxicologists, chemical engineers and other experts to gain valuable insight into the cause of your accident, and to also provide persuasive testimony at trial.

You may only have a limited amount of time to bring chemical exposure or other toxic tort claim to the attention of those liable for paying damages. Do not delay talking with an attorney at our office regarding your injuries or loss of a loved one.

This is not just a court case, this is your life!

Call (801) 363-8500 or contact our Salt Lake City law office to schedule a free consultation. Rasmussen & Miner is dedicated to protecting your rights to financial recovery.

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