Toxic Exposure

From life-threatening exposure to cancer-causing materials at work, to the contamination of your home, health or the environment by large corporations, toxic exposure can be devastating to you and your community’s wellbeing. Our attorneys work to hold negligent companies accountable and obtain recovery for those suffering from personal injury, property damage and economic loss related to negligent business practices.

Throughout the years, we've represented and continue to represent people, communities, cities and states to create cleaner, safer places to work and live, and to help bring about change to stop such harmful acts from happening again.

Our toxic exposure experience

Our attorneys have litigated a variety of toxic exposure and environmental damages cases for individuals, families, communities and states, seeking not only recovery but improved environmental standards and pollution elimination, as well. We are currently involved in toxic exposure litigation including (but not limited to):

Asbestos exposure and mesothelioma

For almost a century, unsuspecting workers were exposed to asbestos at work and brought the carcinogenic mineral home on their clothing, consequently exposing their spouses, children and other loved ones. During this time, companies that sold asbestos and asbestos-containing products knew, or should have known, that these unsafe products could lead to a number of life-altering and potentially deadly diseases, including mesothelioma. Because of the long latency period, people continue to be newly diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases up to 60 years after exposure.

PFAS chemical contamination & exposure 

Called “forever chemicals,” synthetic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), or perflourinated chemicals, accumulate and are persistent in the environment. The bioaccumulation of these chemicals in ground and drinking water, animals, people and the agricultural products they consume can have significant and substantial adverse consequences. Motley Rice attorneys are reviewing and investigating allegations of harm to communities impacted by PFAS chemicals, and are Liaison Counsel for multidistrict litigation targeting aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), a common firefighting suppressant. Learn more. 

Camp Lejeune water contamination

Countless service members, their families and civilians who lived and worked at North Carolina’s Camp Lejeune training facility between Aug. 1, 1953 and Dec. 31, 1987 may have been exposed to toxic water sources that are believed to cause birth defects, cancer and other life-altering diseases.

Roundup weed killer

Roundup® has been named in thousands of lawsuits alleging an increased risk of cancer from exposure to glyphosate and the herbicides other chemicals. People may be eligible to file a Roundup lawsuit if they developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma after exposure. Attorneys can help sick Roundup users file a Roundup lawsuit.

Hair relaxer lawsuit

A growing body of scientific literature points to a link between use of chemical hair relaxers and certain types of reproductive cancers. Our attorneys are reviewing potential harms related to hair relaxers and straighteners that contain formaldehyde and other endocrine-disrupting chemicals that are known to cause cancer in humans.

Chemical exposure

Workers, children and the general public can be unknowingly exposed to hazardous chemicals through groundwater seepage, illegal burying or depositing of toxic chemicals, vapor intrusion, improper workplace protection and other forms of unlawful and harmful pollution. Illnesses caused by chemical exposure can be immediate and severe, and may result in learning disabilities, stomach and kidney problems, respiratory disorders and cancer.

Paraquat lawsuit

Paraquat is a toxic chemical used as an herbicide. It is banned in many countries worldwide for its serious health impacts. Paraquat exposure can lead to extremely serious health effects. The herbicide is linked to an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, an irreversible neurological disorder.

Lead poisoning

In addition to posing serious health risks to adults, particularly to pregnant women and industrial workers, lead poisoning is among the most prevalent health problems among America's youth. Although the U.S. banned the use of lead paint in 1978, numerous other sources of lead contamination continue to be significant sources of exposure. For years, Motley Rice attorneys have worked individually and with co-counsel to fight against occupational and childhood lead poisoning resulting from negligence and corporate wrongdoing.

Read more about our $1.15 billion clients’ verdict in The People of the State of California v. Atlantic Richfield, et al (currently titled People of California v. ConAgra Grocery Products Company et al.) as well as our other efforts to fight lead poisoning.

WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit pouch recall

WanaBana issued a voluntary recall of its apple cinnamon fruit purée 2.5 oz pouches. Cinnamon apple sauce pouches from private label brands Schnucks (sold at Schnucks and Eatwell Markets grocery stores) and Weis (sold at Weis grocery stores) are also included in the recall. The recall was issued because of reports of high lead levels in the fruit pouches. Testing revealed lead levels 200 times the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) limit for food for babies and toddlers. 

In addition to the forms of toxic exposure discussed above, our attorneys handle a growing number of toxic exposure cases involving:

• groundwater contamination
• fumes, gases and spills
• vapor intrusion
• natural resources damage
• nuclear radiation
• workers’ rights

Past cases have included representing residents of Tiverton, Rhode Island, against a major utility company for alleged damages resulting from environmental contamination, as well as representing the community of Tallevast, Florida, against a large aerospace defense contractor that allegedly allowed harmful chemicals to seep into the groundwater.

BP oil spill

In re Oil Spill by the Oil Rig "Deepwater Horizon" in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010: The Deepwater Horizon disaster spilled more than 3 million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico, killed 11 oil rig workers, devastated our nation's natural resources and profoundly harmed the economic and emotional well-being of hundreds of thousands of people. Motley Rice has been representing people, families and businesses hurt by the BP oil spill since shortly after the disaster occurred. Additionally, Motley Rice co-founder Joe Rice continues to serve as an instrumental member of the case’s Plaintiffs' Steering Committee as a co-lead negotiator.

More information regarding specific claims in the BP Oil Spill litigation:

BP Economic Loss & Property Damages Claims

BP Medical Benefits Claims

Railroad workers and FELA

For railroad workers harmed during the course of their employment by asbestos exposure, silica exposure or other illness or catastrophic injury, there are potentially additional rights and benefits available to them through the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA). This series of laws, passed in 1908, were meant to improve railroad workers' safety and provide compensation for those injured and their families. Our attorneys have litigated a number of FELA cases and continue to work for railroad workers and their families to recover damages for lost wages, pain, suffering and other injuries.

Silica exposure

Crystalline silica—a mineral that can become airborne when chipped, cut, drilled or ground—is classified as a human lung carcinogen that "remains a serious threat to nearly 2 million U.S. workers, including more than 100,000 workers in high risk jobs such as abrasive blasting, foundry work, stonecutting, rock drilling, quarry work and tunneling," according to OSHA. By breathing in these miniscule particles, lungs can become scarred, reducing their ability to take in oxygen and leading to a number of debilitating and often deadly diseases.