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. Our highly skilled attorneys have an excellent track record of fighting vigorously for our clients’ rights and winning them just compensation.
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Categories Of Hazardous Products
An enormous number of consumer products are 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 dangerous products 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 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
- 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 Can 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. You should be careful about checking out the appearance of surfaces to avoid slippage and poisoning, and to make sure areas you enter or inhabit are well-ventilated.
Clearly, in spite of any and all precautions, personal injuries 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.
At Jaroslawicz & Jaros, our personal injury lawyers have the expertise to fight the good fight, whether through negotiation or, if necessary, through litigation, while you concentrate on healing physically and emotionally from your trauma. Our track record of success ensures you of the best possible chance of receiving fair, often substantial compensation for your medical bills, loss of earnings, and pain and suffering.
