Hazardous products are products that pose threats to human health or the environment during use or disposal. At Jaroslawicz & Jaros, we are experts at handling cases that involve hazardous products. We are well-informed about all types of products that can result in personal injuries and knowledgeable about what constitutes a liability.
Categories Of Hazardous Products:
An enormous number of consumer products are not hazardous, provided that they are properly used or applied. These include:
- Household cleaners such as drain and oven cleaners, tub and tile cleaners, ammonia and bleach
- Home improvement products such as paint, varnish, paint thinner, caulk and various adhesives
- Automotive products such as gasoline, antifreeze, lead-acid batteries and transmission fluid
- Pesticides, including insecticides, weed killers, rodenticides, mothballs and disinfectants
- Miscellaneous products like batteries, shoe polish, medications, and cosmetics
The examples given represent only some of the potentially dangerous products that are found around the average home. This is why it is extremely important to search for the safest options available and to store hazardous products carefully; personal injuries can often be avoided by taking reasonable precautions.
Unfortunately, all too frequently in the legal cases we handle, the injured parties are innocent victims, not the parties who should have been responsible for taking the appropriate protective measures.
What Characteristics Make Products Hazardous?
Products are designated as hazardous if they are:
- Flammable or combustible — can burn easily
- Explosive or reactive — can explode when exposed to heat, shock, pressure, certain substances
- Corrosive — can burn and destroy living tissues or other materials on contact
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Toxic — able to cause injury or death upon ingestion, inhalation or skin absorption.
Some toxins can cause cancer, genetic damage, or fetal disease or malformations.
Labels May Be Incomplete Or Misleading:
While the warning labels required by federal law can be helpful, they are by no means foolproof. Though it is necessary to take such labels seriously, realizing that DANGER or POISON indicate high toxicity, corrosive qualities, or extreme flammability and WARNING or CAUTION indicate moderate or slight hazard, it is just as necessary to remember that labels can wear off or be covered and that babies and young children cannot read. Toxins may also be stored in improperly labeled or unlabeled containers.
It is essential to be aware that your neighbor, garage mechanic, landscaper, plumber or electrician may be less careful about storage than you are and that dangerous products are not stored during use. Any work site should be presumed to be a dangerous area. Spills and inhalants can be especially hazardous because they may not be noticed.
Unfortunately, in spite of any and all precautions, personal injuries do occur, frequently because of the negligence or malice of another person, company or corporation. If another is responsible for your injury, you need a competent personal injury attorney at your side to vigorously defend your rights.
If you or a loved one has been injured by a hazardous product and are in need of legal assistance, Contact Jaroslawicz & Jaros. The initial consultation is free of charge, and if we agree to handle your case, we will work on a contingency fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary recovery of funds.
