DC Toxic Chemicals and Materials Damages

The Department of Health defines toxic chemicals and materials in Subtitle G. It is Chapters 33 through 34. It adapts the code of federal regulations. It is defined by federal regulations which are referenced in the DC public health law. Chemical exposure is defined as when someone is exposed to a dangerous chemical. If you have been exposed to toxic chemicals on the job and sustained serious injuries as a result, consult a lawyer today. A determined toxic chemicals attorney could fight to help you recover the DC toxic chemicals and materials damages that you deserve

Economic and Non-Economic Damages

By and large, a person could receive economic damages for their loss of income and the medical expense. Those are the two that can be awarded which is the loss of income as the result of the exposure and the medical expense incurred as a result of the exposure. They could receive non-economic damages for their pain and suffering. A toxic chemicals and materials lawyer could help the victim pursue DC toxic chemicals and materials damages for their injuries.

Caps on Economic and Non-Economic Damages

There is no cap on toxic chemicals and materials damages, or on economic and non-economic damages in general, in DC. Damage caps exist because it is an element of tort reform that a runaway jury could award $20 million but there is a limitation which means that people know how much exposure they are going to have and insurance companies are not going to be paying out hundreds and millions of dollars in frivolous awards. By and large, damage caps actually exist because of a concerted effort by the insurance industry and conservative lawmakers to minimize the exposure to certain groups such as doctors and drivers to really protect the insurance industry.

Punitive Damages

Punitive damages are meant to be a form of punishment; somebody gets exposed which means there is some egregious conduct that leads to exposure. There is a movie, for instance, in which an electric company knew that they were contaminating water but instead of owning up to that and fixing the problem, they instead basically embarked on a campaign to mislead the public about what they were doing to try to say that it was good even though they knew it was bad. That is an example of fraud on top of a regular negligence claim.

Calculating Punitive Damages

For punitive damages, there is no formula and there is no cap. Some level of punitive award needs to have some relation to the underlying conduct that triggered the award. If a person finds that tobacco companies rely on people so if somebody had a cold and the value of the medical care was $500, they are not going to sustain a $10 million-dollar punitive award. It is usually about 10:1 but there is no formula; it is whatever the judge sees fit.

 

Consulting a DC Toxic Chemicals and Materials Attorney

Toxic chemical and material exposure can have serious and sometimes fatal consequences for people. The biggest thing is asbestos exposure. If a person has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or asbestosis, they were probably exposed to asbestos, and those cases are particularly sad. If you think you have been exposed, you should consult a DC toxic chemicals and materials lawyer because there are a lot of nuances in these cases and a knowledgeable toxic chemicals attorney could use their knowledge of these nuances to help you recover the DC toxic chemicals and materials damages that you deserve. Speak with a skilled attorney today and know that you are in capable hands.

DC Toxic Chemicals and Material Liability Lawyer