Lake Charles, Louisiana, Benzene Exposure Attorney
When an employee is negligently exposed to benzene resulting in disease, cancer or wrongful death, the employee or surviving family members are entitled to compensation for their losses. At Baggett, McCall, Burgess, Watson & Gaughan, we have extensive experience representing victims in complex claims involving benzene exposure and cancer.
We have significant experience in benzene exposure cases and have established a reputation for results. Our lawyers know how to prove exposure at industrial sites and know how to resolve cases without litigation when it best serves a client’s interests. If however, your case requires a trial, the firm is equipped to do exactly that. The firm successfully handled, to a multi-million dollar verdict, the leading benzene exposure cancer case in Louisiana. Warren v. Sabine Towing. Contact us for an initial consultation and case evaluation. Choose your lawyer carefully.
Occupational exposure to benzene
Workers in petroleum refineries and workers involved in the transportation of benzene and products that contain benzene face serious health risks, including cancer. Benzene exposure is an occupational hazard to those involved in the transportation of benzene, gas or crude oil by truck, barge or railroad. Other high-risk groups include workers who are involved in the production of plastics, paints, rubber, resins, detergents, lubricants, drugs or pesticides, as well as those in the synthetic materials and printing industries. Anyone who works in an industry that produces or uses benzene will be exposed to higher levels of the chemical than the general population.
What is Benzene?
Benzene is a highly flammable, clear, colorless, sweet-smelling liquid used in the production of plastics, paints, rubber, resins, detergents, lubricants, drugs, pesticides and synthetic fabrics. Benzene is predominantly found in petroleum refineries and is a naturally occurring component of gasoline and raw crude oil.
Benzene Health Effects and Related Diseases
Long-term occupational exposure to benzene has been associated with several diseases, including Aplastic anemia, leukemia, multiple myeloma and conditions characterized by the suppression of the immune system such as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and myelodysplasia.
Acute Myelogenous / Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML): also known as acute myelogenous leukemia, acute granulocytic leukemia and acute nonlymphocytic leukemia, AML is defined as a malignancy of blood-forming tissues that results in an excess of immature white blood cells. The malignant cells begin to replace bone marrow and normal blood cells cease to function. Symptoms of this disease include but are not limited to: prolonged bleeding, skin rash, fatigue, bone pain and weight loss. The petrochemical companies have long taken the position that benzene only causes AML, not other cancers. Our firm has been able to prove that this is not true and we are able to link numerous blood cancers and other blood disorders to long-term benzene exposure.
Secondary Aplastic Anemia: Also known as acquired aplastic anemia, secondary aplastic anemia is defined as a failure of the bone marrow to form blood cells and is characterized by a reduction in all types of blood cells. Symptoms of this disease include but are not limited to: fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath and rapid heart rate.
Myelodysplasia-related syndromes: Myelodysplasia is a condition characterized by the abnormal formation of bone marrow cells. Related syndromes include a group of conditions characterized by changes in the bone marrow that suggest a pre-leukemic state. Our firm has litigated dozens of benzene cancer related cases. These include cases for industrial plant workers, seamen aboard a variety of vessels and truck drivers. In preparing these cases for trial, we have forced the oil companies to turn over hundreds of thousands of documents, which prove these corporations’ culpability and fault in wrongfully exposing our clients to benzene. We have been able to create a computer-based library of millions of documents, giving us immediate access in preparing any case related to benzene exposure.
Contact Baggett, McCall, Burgess, Watson & Gaughan in Lake Charles, Louisiana, for a free consultation or call 337-478-8888 or our toll-free number 1-800-256-1137 now to speak directly with an experienced benzene exposure lawyer. Choose your lawyer carefully.
