Toxic and Environmental Lawyer in Pittsburgh

The city of Pittsburgh is older than the United States of America. It has been an industrial city for almost that entire time. These two factors mean that the city has many environmental and toxic dangers, some of which have been around for centuries.

Lead Paint

Many residential buildings in Pittsburgh were built before lead paint was banned. This means that several apartment buildings and homes still have lead paint on the walls. Landlords and homeowners are required to inform residents of the danger. However, some unscrupulous people will fail to warn tenants or future owners because they don’t want to lower the value of their property.

Whether you were not warned due to malfeasance or negligence, being unaware of lead paint can harm you or your family. While most adults will have no reason to lick walls, pets or children might eat paint chips and then get lead poisoning. If this happens to your pets or children, contact a toxic and environmental lawyer in Pittsburgh as soon as you are able to learn about your options for compensation.

Asbestos

Due to Pittsburgh's age, many buildings, both residential and commercial, were built before people fully understood the danger of asbestos. This means that you might live or work in a building that still has asbestos in the walls. If you do, exposure to the substance could result in asbestos fibers entering your lungs. This type of exposure has been linked to mesothelioma and other types of cancer.

Similarly, if you work in the construction industry, you could be exposed to asbestos in the workplace. When older buildings are torn down or renovated, the asbestos in the building often gets into the air. If your workplace doesn’t follow proper safety procedures, you could be toxically exposed just from doing your job.

Mines

While there aren’t many mines in the city limits of Pittsburgh, there are plenty of mines (active and inactive) in the surrounding areas. And most of the workers for those mines live in or near Pittsburgh. Mines represent several dangers, both to workers and nearby residents.

People who work in mines can inhale toxic fumes or dust if proper safety procedures aren’t followed. This results in long-term illnesses like black lung, which leads to a lifetime of suffering. If you are employed by a mine that didn’t follow proper safety procedures, a toxic and environmental lawyer in Pittsburgh can help you get compensation for the illnesses you suffered from that negligence.

Residents who live near mines could also be in danger. Many mining operations have toxic runoff that poisons the ground and water near a mine. Residents who live near a mine may be exposed to these toxins from years of living in the area and only realize it after they get sick. A toxic and environmental lawyer in Pittsburgh can prove the mine caused your illness and get you compensation for a lifetime of harm.

Steel Mills and Other Industrial Sites

Industrial sites around Pittsburgh (particularly steel mills) represent many of the same dangers as mines. Industrial runoff and other toxins entered the ground and water while these sites were active. Many of the original steel mills were created long before environmental regulations existed and poisoned the surrounding area before people understood the danger.

Decades later, the damage has not healed, and the danger is still present. People who live near these industrial sites (whether they are still active or not) may be poisoned by groundwater or develop cancer from toxins in the area. These toxins can affect entire neighborhoods, leading to dozens of illnesses.

Herbicides and Pesticides

While there aren’t many farms in the city limits of Pittsburgh, farming is common in the nearby area. And the community’s age means that the land near many of these farms has been poisoned.

Herbicides and pesticides that are currently banned were used on many farms for decades. The poisonous effects of these chemicals last for years after the chemicals stop being used. The effects on groundwater can last for decades, ending up in the water supply of people and animals.

Pharmaceuticals

Have you ever seen one of those commercials that tries to convince you that a particular drug is the miracle cure for something that ails you? They always seem to end with a long list of terrifying side effects. Unfortunately, that list, while true, often understates the danger of using some drugs.

Nearly all drugs have some side effects. In most cases, doctors prescribe you those drugs because they are the best choice for your health. However, when doctors prescribe drugs because they are receiving kickbacks from drug companies, you could end up with serious health issues. While this problem isn’t unique to Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh attorneys that focus on toxic drug interactions are well-equipped to help you with your case.

If you have been harmed by toxic chemicals, you may think that any personal injury attorney can help, but that isn’t true.

You need a lawyer that focuses on toxic and environmental cases. These lawyers understand the history of these issues and know how to identify the signs of toxic homes, workplaces, and environments. It requires an advanced understanding of the science involved in these cases to gather evidence that supports a personal injury claim.

Additionally, toxic and environmental lawyers from Morgan and Morgan have contacts within the medical field. We can direct you to doctors and hospitals that specialize in the types of diseases, illnesses, and injuries that you suffer after being exposed to toxic substances. This kind of exposure can lead to a lifetime of harm, and the sooner you get the right type of treatment, the more likely you are to live a longer and better life. Getting your compensation only matters if that money lets you live a long and enjoyable life.

Furthermore, toxic and environmental lawyers keep track of ongoing and past lawsuits in the field. If there is a class action lawsuit or a mass tort related to a health hazard in the Pittsburgh area, your attorney will be aware of that and can use that information to help your case. Additionally, since Morgan & Morgan has offices across the country, we can contact attorneys in other states who may have dealt with similar issues to your case.

Like other types of personal injury attorneys, toxic and environmental lawyers from Morgan and Morgan work on contingency. This means that they receive a percentage of your final compensation. 

If you never receive any compensation, either because we lose your case or because you choose to drop your case, we won’t get paid. Regardless, since we only get paid when you get paid, there is no cost to you for consulting with and hiring an attorney.

If you are eligible to join a class action lawsuit, you should have been notified that you were a member of the class. If you weren’t notified, you likely aren’t a member of the class and will not be able to join in. However, that doesn’t mean that the class action lawsuit can’t help your claim. Anything that comes to light during discovery or trial can be used if you choose to file an independent lawsuit.

Additionally, if you think that your case may be eligible for a class action lawsuit, we may be able to help you begin a new class action lawsuit. This is one of many options we will discuss with you when we provide you with a free case evaluation.

You probably aren’t a scientist, and neither is your attorney. However, your attorney knows experts who can study your drinking water and quickly determine whether it is contaminated and whether that contamination likely led to any medical problems you are experiencing. With that evidence in hand, we can start a claim against the responsible parties to get you fair compensation.

Hopefully, we will be able to get you compensation without ever going to trial. Once we have collected enough evidence, we will present that evidence to the responsible party and attempt to negotiate a fair settlement offer. If we can negotiate a fair offer, you will get the money that you deserve relatively quickly. However, if we can’t negotiate a fair offer, then we will have to go to trial to get you the money that you are owed.

The most difficult part about any toxic or environmental case is that you will often start seeing symptoms of injury or illness years after you were first exposed. This can make it difficult to track down the source of the harm or to determine who is liable. An experienced Morgan & Morgan attorney will help you determine the facts of your case so that you can get treatment as soon as possible. 

Contact us today for a free case evaluation if you think you have been harmed by toxic chemicals in your home, workplace, or environment.