Dallas Fort Worth Injury Lawyer Blog
Studies linking a colorless, sweet-smelling chemical named Benzene and leukemia have triggered lawsuits in the United States.
Benzene exposure trigger lawsuits.
Benzene is used in several products, including plastics, paints, solvents, dyes, chemical products and by the petroleum industry. People who work with Benzene products are at a higher risk for developing adverse effects because of their increase risk of exposure to high levels of Benzene. The United States Environmental Protection Agency estimates that more than fifty percent of the American population have been exposed to Benzene but those who work with petroleum based solvents containing Benzene are the ones with the highest risks of developing adverse effects.
Exposure to Benzene can cause nausea, headaches, dizziness, confusion and drowsiness. The types of leukemia linked to Benzene include acute myelogenous leukemia, acute lymphatic leukemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia, and hairy cell leukemia.
Despite reports of health risks linked to Benzene exposure dating back to the 1800s, many workers were ask to work with the chemical without giving them adequate protections. Companies and industries employing these workers must have or should have known of these health risks.
Those exposed to Benzene or their family members may be entitled to compensation for injuries they’ve sustain. A number of lawsuits have been successful in awarding multi-million dollar awards to those exposed to Benzene.
A 2011 lawsuit serves as an example of the type of exposure a person may have encountered. In this lawsuit, a man alleges that as result of Benzene spills that contaminated groundwater, he was exposed to Benzene and developed acute myelogenous leukemia.
The lawsuit accuses Shell Oil Company of hiding and minimizing the dangers associated with Benzene exposure and claims that the plaintiff will suffer a shorten life expectancy, mental and physical anguish, has incurred and expects to further incur medical expenses, and have to undergo lifelong treatment as a result of Shell Oil Company’s actions.
Have you or a love one suffered from exposure to Benzene?