Five people were killed and dozens more were injured when a bus struck multiple vehicles on Interstate 95 in Virginia. For the families involved, the central question is not only what happened in the seconds before impact, but whether the…
Stone fabrication workers are losing lung function, undergoing lung transplants, and dying after years of cutting and polishing engineered stone countertops. NPR’s latest reporting adds to growing public health evidence that silicosis tied to quartz countertop dust is appearing across…
Thousands of families in Orange County were ordered to leave their homes after officials warned that a chemical tank at a Garden Grove aerospace facility could spill flammable material or explode. The emergency involves methyl methacrylate, a chemical used in…
Legionnaires’ causes potentially deadly permanent effects due to a building’s water system being allowed to become dangerous. Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks frequently trace back to preventable failures such as stagnant water, poor temperature control, weak disinfectant levels, dirty cooling towers, and…
Welding fumes are not just an irritant. Depending on the process and materials, welding can generate a complex mixture of airborne metals and gases that may contribute to long-term lung disease and elevated cancer risk. One of the biggest red…
When most people think about lead exposure, they think about peeling paint in older homes. That risk is real, but it is not the whole story. Children and adults can also be exposed through school drinking water, renovation and construction…
Walk into many auto shops and you will find the same lineup: brake cleaner, parts-washing tanks, degreasers, and “heavy duty” solvents used to cut through grime fast. Some of those products have historically contained chlorinated solvents like trichloroethylene (TCE) and…
PFAS are a large group of manufactured chemicals often called “forever chemicals” because they can persist in the environment for a long time. In many communities, PFAS have been detected in public drinking water, leading to new federal standards, state…
Silicosis is a serious, incurable lung disease caused by breathing in respirable crystalline silica, microscopic dust released when cutting, grinding, drilling, or polishing materials like stone, concrete, and sand. What’s driving the current wave of concern (and litigation) is a…
Carbon monoxide (CO) is called the “silent killer” for a reason. It’s colorless, odorless, and tasteless and it can cause life-altering brain damage or death before anyone realizes there’s a problem. According to federal data, hundreds of people in the…
Legionnaires’ disease is not a rare, one-off problem. It’s a growing building-safety issue that keeps surfacing in headlines: cooling towers on hospitals and telecom buildings, assisted living facilities, hotels, condos, and entire neighborhoods affected by contaminated water systems. Recent events…
A new Penn State Cancer Institute study has identified a significant melanoma “hotspot” stretching across 15 counties in south-central Pennsylvania. The findings suggest that people living near cultivated farmland may face a higher risk of melanoma, the deadliest form of…
Strict liability is a legal standard courts use to determine liability for certain torts. Understanding the implications of strict liability on your legal claim can help you pursue your claim more effectively. The attorneys at McEldrew Purtell can help you with your…
The Environmental Protection Agency formally recognizes nearly 800 toxic chemicals linked to adverse health effects. At the same time, the Natural Resources Defense Council reports there are more than 80,000 chemicals used in the U.S. Most of these chemicals have…
Thanks to advancements in manufacturing, medicine, and technology sectors, consumers today have access to a wide variety of products in their daily lives. Unfortunately, some of these products are unsafe and may even cause severe illnesses. Other times, dangerous chemicals…
Seven people were hospitalized in critical condition Saturday after suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning at a Hampton Inn in Ohio. A total of nine people were taken to local hospitals, according to The Columbus Dispatch. Local Fire Chief Jay Riley…
