San Jose Chemical Exposure Lawyers
Chemical Exposure
Construction workers can be exposed to thousands, if not tens of thousands, of toxic substances during the course of their employ. Indeed, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) estimates that certain job environments may expose workers to as many as a hundred thousand potentially unsafe dusts, molds, pesticides, phytoestrogens, phthalates, dioxins, hydrocarbons, heavy metals, insecticides, lacquers, paints, and so on.
A variety of laws and regulations - both at the state and federal levels - exists to protect construction workers from toxic exposure and to provide mechanisms by which injured parties can demand compensation from a company, insurer or state worker's compensation program.
List of Resources
1. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
ATSDR is a not a regulatory agency. It is a branch of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) that provides scientific info as well as reports on trends in communities.
2. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
The Department of Labor oversees OSHA, which regulates workplace hazardous substances. OSHA has set something called permissible exposure limits - also known as PELs - for approximately 400 substances found at workplaces like construction sites.
3. Environment Protection Agency (EPA)
Pursuant to the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976, the EPA has federal authority to regulate certain dangerous chemical compounds and track and restrict them.
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Another branch of the DHHS, the CDC provides info and statistics on poisonous and toxic chemicals that can be found at workplaces.
Kinds of Injuries that can Result from Chemical Exposure
Broadly speaking, ailments can be categorized as either "chronic" - occurring over a longer period of time - or "acute" - occurring over a short period of time. Medical problems can include dizziness, amnesia, headaches, lack of breath, blackouts, burns, lung damage, and disfigurement in the short term. Over the longer term, exposure to toxic elements can cause permanent brain damage, traumatic brain injury, disabilities, birth injuries, a variety of different cancers, harm to your internal organs, fibromyalgia and muscle damage, and more.
Taking Action to Get Compensated and to Staunch the Damage
Your first concern should be to remove yourself from any offending environment that could be causing you harm or potential injury. A San Jose personal injury attorney can help you understand how toxic tort law works and how to make a claim to get payments for medical bills and surgery, vocational training, time lost at work (both past and future wages), loss of earning capacity, loss of consortium, and long-term physical and mental therapies.
A resourceful San Jose construction injury attorney will build a case that exposure to one or more harmful chemicals caused harm, property damage, or injury to you. To build an airtight case, your attorney will likely have to launch a probing investigation and call upon the resources of experts in toxicology, pharmacology, and accident reconstruction. Again, it's important not to delay seeking advice about how to proceed, since the longer you continue laboring at a dangerous construction site, the more damage you will likely suffer, and the more difficult it may be to prove that your employer or some other party violated OSHA regulations or other laws or safety practices.
Talk to the skilled and accomplished San Jose construction accident attorneys at Van Der Walde & Associates immediately to get input on your case. Call 877-862-6288, toll free, or go to www.vanderwalde.com to learn more about Northern California personal injury law.
