Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyer articles in category: Toxic Substances

The latest environmental hot button is the bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical contained in polycarbonate plastics. While BPA has existed since its creation in 1890 and the first evidence of toxicity...

Asbestos manufacturer, Georgia Pacific Corp., was ordered by a San Francisco jury to pay in excess of $7 million to plaintiffs, Joan and Daniel Mahoney. Plaintiffs sued Georgia Pacific claiming that Mrs. Mahoney developed terminal cancer from exposure to asbestos fibers released during her work in a home remodeling business with her husband. Her husband testified that she was exposed to the...

The 2005 explosion at British Petroleum's Texas City plant killed 15 people and injured more than 170 others. Civil suits filed by the injured people and the families of those killed have been mostly resolved, but BP is being fined for its wrongdoing. The explosion at the Texas City plant about 40 miles southeast of Houston occurred after a piece of equipment called a blowdown drum overfilled...

Last week, California's Supreme Court unanimously ruled that a federal food labeling law does not preclude California citizens from using state consumer laws to enforce an identical state labeling law. The High Court's ruling means consumers may sue grocery store chains to enforce a state law requiring labeling of dyes added to farm-raised salmon.Do you recall a time in the not-too distant past...

Phthalates are chemicals which are used to stabilize fragrances and make plastics flexible. They are typically found in many products including cosmetics, toys, vinyl flooring and medical supplies. A recent study suggests their presence in baby shampoos, lotions and powders may expose infants to chemicals that have been linked with possible reproductive problems. The study, which is published...

Two reservoirs in Los Angeles that supply drinking water to residents had to be shut down after officials found the water to be contaminated with high levels of a cancer causing chemical, bromate.The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power intend to drain 600 million gallons of water from Elysian and Silver Lake reservoirs early next year, a process that will leave them out of action for three...

Los Angeles's subway stations are unattended and monitored only by closed circuit television cameras. In December a man spilled mercury on the platform at one of the stations and contacted the Metro Transit Authority on what he had done. It took 8 hours before anything was done to clean up the spill. In the meantime several passengers of the subway came in contact with the hazardous...

Schools get an F on pesticide use. Parents, teachers and students must work to eliminate the highly dangerous presence of pesticides in our schools. Throughout the country young children are being exposed to highly toxic pesticides in their schools. The use of dangerous chemicals contained in pesticides is a serious threat to our children's health. The National Academy of Sciences has stated...

Southern California Gas Co. accused in lawsuit by the Environmental Law Foundation of leaching cancer-causing toxins into the local aquifer by storing and pumping natural gas in depleted oil fields.The Oakland based Environmental Law Foundation filed a lawsuit in the Los Angeles County Superior Court this week alleges that the Southern California Gas Co. is polluting the local water table. ...

Beoing continues to dump toxins and seeks more lenient rules concerning rocket facility in Simi Valley.The rocket facility in the Simi Hills has played host to some of the worst toxic pollution ever known. Nuclear reactor meltdowns, toxic clouds, TCE, chromium 6 and other hazardous and toxic chemicals were allowed to leach into the earth contaminating drinking water supplies. At a time when...

EU law will limit use of toxic chemicals. U.S. chemical companies will have to comply with new EU law. The European Union passed an important law, this week, designed to protect workers and consumers from the dangers of exposure to toxic chemicals. The new law will control 30,000 toxic chemicals and will result in the ban of approximately 1,500 of the most hazardous substances. The legislation...

Many who were exposed to deadly asbestos fibers still don't know they were exposed. Throughout the twentieth century, hundreds of thousands of workers worked with and around deadly asbestos fibers. Most of them worked with insulation or in the shipping, construction, mining or railroad industries. Many of these workers inhaled the deadly asbestos fibers for years. Those fibers caused lung...

The invisible increasing threat of radiation exposure. Radiation exposure on the rise. The recent radiation poisoning of a Russian politician brings to light a serious threat to public health. Unsuspecting Americans are receiving elevated levels of radiation, not as a result of political intrigue- James Bond style but, due to the existence of radiation in workplaces, homes and communities. For...

Consumer Attorneys take on Global warming. The plaintiffs bar fights pollution.Once again consumer attorneys have stepped in where the government has failed to act. Consumer attorneys have long been the champions of the underdog against such goliaths as insurance companies, car manufacturers and global pharmaceutical companies. Now with the White House and Congress' failure to address the...

Harmful pesticides on the rise. Pesticides link to cancer, birth defects and neurological damage.This week the state released data showing that California farmers are using more pesticides than ever before. California growers applied 194 million pounds in 2005, up 14 million pounds from 2004. The rise in pesticide use is of great concern to health professionals and environmentalists because many...