Las Vegas Chemical Exposure Attorneys
Were You Injured by Chemical Exposure?
Exposure to toxic or hazardous chemicals can cause serious injuries, and the effects are not always immediately apparent. Chemical exposure can occur through inhalation, skin contact, ingestion, or other forms of contact and may result in burns, respiratory problems, neurological symptoms, organ damage, or other short- and long-term health effects. Exposure may occur at a workplace, construction site, hotel or resort, business, residential property, or other location where dangerous substances are used, stored, transported, or released.
Determining whether you may have a chemical exposure injury claim can require investigating what substance was involved, how the exposure occurred, who controlled or handled the chemical, and whether appropriate safety measures and warnings were provided. The Courtroom Couple helps injured clients investigate chemical exposure incidents, preserve important evidence, identify potentially responsible parties, and document the medical and financial impact of their injuries.
What Should You Do After a Chemical Exposure?
Your health should come first after a suspected chemical exposure. Evidence can also disappear quickly, particularly when chemicals are cleaned up, containers are removed, equipment is repaired, or a worksite or property returns to normal operations. When possible, taking steps to document the incident can help preserve information that may later become important to a chemical exposure claim.
- Get Appropriate Medical Care: Seek medical attention and tell your healthcare providers what you know about the chemical or substance involved and how the exposure occurred. Keep records of diagnoses, testing, treatment, medications, and follow-up care.
- Report the Exposure: Notify an employer, property manager, business, safety officer, or other appropriate party about the incident. If a written incident report is prepared, keep information about when and to whom the exposure was reported.
- Document What Happened: When it is safe to do so, preserve photographs or information about chemical containers, product labels, warning signs, equipment, protective gear, the location of the exposure, and the surrounding conditions. Do not put yourself at risk to collect evidence.
- Preserve Important Records: Keep medical records, photographs, witness information, incident reports, employment records, missed-work documentation, and communications related to the exposure. Product labels, Safety Data Sheets, testing results, surveillance footage, and workplace or property records may also become important evidence.
Understanding Who May Be Responsible for a Chemical Exposure Injury
Chemical exposure cases can be complex because responsibility may extend beyond the person or company present when the exposure occurred. Determining who may be responsible can require examining who manufactured, supplied, stored, transported, handled, or controlled the hazardous substance, as well as the safety measures and warnings that were in place.
Employers & Worksite Parties
When exposure occurs on a jobsite, the circumstances may require examining the employer as well as contractors, subcontractors, property owners, equipment operators, or other companies working at or controlling portions of the site. Depending on the circumstances, legal options may also need to be considered alongside workers’ compensation benefits.
Property Owners & Businesses
Hotels, resorts, businesses, apartment complexes, and other property owners or operators may need to be investigated when hazardous chemicals are improperly stored, used, maintained, or released on the property.
Manufacturers, Suppliers & Other Companies
A chemical manufacturer, product manufacturer, distributor, supplier, or another company involved with a hazardous substance may need to be examined when issues involving a defective product, contamination, inadequate instructions, or insufficient warnings contributed to an exposure.
Connecting the Exposure to Your Injuries
A chemical exposure claim also requires evaluating the connection between the substance and the injuries or illness experienced. Medical records, information about the chemical and level or duration of exposure, testing, work or exposure history, and qualified professional analysis may become important when documenting that connection and its potential long-term effects.