Chemical Exposure Lawyers in Durham, NC
Workers exposed to chemicals and toxins can develop chronic, life-shortening illnesses. When they do, they may be entitled to benefits that go beyond those typically provided by workers’ compensation.
North Carolina law lists the occupational diseases for which benefits are available. If you have a disease not included on the list, you still may receive compensation if you can prove that your job exposed you to hazardous chemicals that put you at higher risk than others for developing the disease and that the chemical exposure caused or contributed to your disease.
Making the connection between chemical exposure and illness may require evidence from medical doctors and other scientists. The need for science is especially strong when new industry brings new dangers to North Carolina. For example, North Carolina now allows hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) as a way to drill for natural gas, despite findings from the Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) that fracking exposes workers to dangerous levels of benzene, a chemical known to cause cancer. (Read more about the dangers of fracking). In other states where fracking is allowed, drilling companies have to reveal the toxic chemicals they use, but not in North Carolina, where the legislature has declared that companies may keep that information secret – leaving workers at a terrible disadvantage.
Our chemical exposure attorneys have years of experience working with medical and scientific experts to make sure that sick workers receive the treatment and benefits they need and deserve. Our attorneys will stand up for your rights even when the legislature doesn’t. Contact us for a chemical exposure case consultation.
