Riverside Chemical Exposure Injury Lawyer
Helping California Workers Get the Compensation They are Owed After Toxic Workplace Exposure
Exposure to hazardous chemicals at work can be extremely painful, debilitating, and disfiguring. Even the short-term symptoms can be troubling, while long-term exposure and exposure to especially dangerous chemicals can lead to long-term issues.
If you’ve been exposed to a hazardous chemical in a California workplace and suffered injury or illness as a result, the chemical exposure workers’ comp legal team at Ochoa & Calderón is ready to fight for your rights. We’ll get you the workers’ compensation benefits and other damages you are owed so that you can focus on your medical treatments and recovery.
Chemical Burns
Many jobs involve the use of dangerous chemicals such as benzene, sulfuric acid, or hydrochloric acid. These chemicals pose a hazard when they are dealt with improperly, or when accidents occur. Chemical spills, slip and falls, malfunctioning safety equipment, improper use of safety equipment, and other events can lead to direct exposure.
If you are directly exposed to one of these harmful chemicals, you could suffer a number of acute symptoms as well as long-term damage, including:
- Inflammation and burning
- Pain or numbness at the exposure point
- Blisters or blackened skin
- Blurry spots and other vision damage if the eyes are exposed
- Trouble breathing or painful breathing after inhalation of dangerous fumes
- Permanent scarring and disfigurement
- Functional limitations
Prolonged exposure, or significant direct exposure to very harmful chemicals, can also lead to cardiac arrest and death. If you’ve suffered a chemical burn or other injury at work, a dedicated chemical exposure attorney at Ochoa & Calderón can help you get the medical treatment you need and the compensation that you are owed.
Cancer and Other Diseases
The hazards of chemical exposure are not limited to factory workers who deliberately deal with dangerous chemicals. Construction workers, gardeners, and even office workers risk exposure to hazardous materials in the workplace. Asbestos is present in many buildings and building materials, and even in some automobiles and consumer products such as talcum powder. Prolonged exposure to asbestos can lead to mesothelioma, asbestosis, and other dangerous lung or liver conditions. Many workers are exposed to lead and other harmful metals, leading to lead poisoning. Gardeners and others who work outdoors may contract cancer or other conditions after years of using harmful herbicides and other chemicals; Monsanto is facing billions of dollars in lawsuits alleging that Roundup weed killer causes cancer.
If you’ve been exposed to a hazardous chemical or product in the workplace, you are entitled to workers’ compensation, regardless of whether the nature of your job entailed such exposure. It doesn’t matter whether your office building contains asbestos or you work with hazardous chemicals at a factory; if you suffer an injury or illness because of your exposure at work, you are owed workers’ comp benefits, and the dedicated workers’ comp attorneys at Ochoa & Calderón are ready to help you collect.
Third-Party Lawsuits for Chemical Exposure
Typically, chemical exposure in the workplace occurs because something went wrong. While the exposure might have occurred because of a lack of safety equipment or training, or through a simple freak accident, you may also have been exposed because of a defective product. Faulty safety equipment can expose you to harmful chemicals unwittingly, and many products contain much more serious hazards than advertised (such as the Roundup weed killer discussed above).
If you were exposed to a dangerously defective consumer or manufacturing product, or you suffered injury or illness because of defective gloves, goggles, or other safety apparatus, you could have additional legal rights on top of workers’ comp. If the product was manufactured by someone other than your employer, then the product manufacturer might be liable for the harm you have suffered. A knowledgeable chemical exposure lawyer at Ochoa & Calderón can investigate the circumstances of your injury or illness and identify additional parties who may be liable, opening your claim up to significantly more compensation.
Our Riverside Chemical Exposure Injury Attorneys Are Ready to Help You Recover the Compensation You Are Owed
For help getting workers’ comp benefits and other damages after a chemical exposure injury or illness, call Ochoa & Calderón to discuss your case with a passionate and dedicated California workers’ comp lawyer. Call 951-901-4444 in Riverside or 844-401-0750 toll-free throughout Southern California.
