How to Obtain Compensation for Injuries Caused by Long-Term Exposure to a Harmful Product

 Posted on June 17, 2019 in Defective Products

Consumers have a right to expect that the products sold to them by leading manufacturers are safe for use as directed. When a manufacturer fails to live up to that expectation, and a consumer is harmed by a hazardous or defective product, the consumer has the right to file a personal injury lawsuit against the manufacturer seeking compensation for the harm done to them.

Personal Injury Lawsuits Involving Hazardous Products

Obtaining compensation through a personal injury lawsuit can be a lengthy and costly process. In some cases, it is only after years or even decades of use that the danger of a product is realized. First, someone must start to suspect a link between a certain product and a particular illness or injury. After that, it may take years for scientists to identify the specific toxic chemical or design defect in the product and then to prove the causal connection between the product and the illness. At least one costly lawsuit must usually be fought before a hazardous product’s manufacturer can be made to take responsibility and pay compensation to consumers who were injured by the product. After one case is tried and won, it finally becomes easier for others to obtain compensation for similar injuries caused by the same product.

Because these trials can be so costly, people who have been injured by the same product will often join together in a mass tort action to achieve economies of scale. While each person’s case has its own unique circumstances and must be tried separately, some of the evidence and arguments can be shared across the cases.

Mass Tort Lawsuits Allege that Roundup Causes Cancer

A good example of a mass tort action is the 2018-2019 litigation involving Roundup, a popular brand of weedkiller based on the active ingredient glyphosate that has been on the market for over 45 years. Multiple plaintiffs have the same basic claim, that their heavy use of Roundup over a period of years caused them to develop non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. Three cases have now been tried and won in California, resulting in multi-million dollar compensation awards. Thousands of additional cases have been filed against Bayer, the owner of the Roundup brand.

Contact a U.S. Virgin Islands Personal Injury Lawyer

If you have an illness that has been linked to long-term exposure to a particular product, you may be able to obtain compensation from the manufacturer of that product, particularly if a mass tort action is already in progress. If you live in the U.S. Virgin Islands, including St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas, consult our experienced team of St. Croix personal injury lawyers to discuss your situation. Call Colianni & Colianni, LLC at 340-719-1766 for a free consultation.

Source:

https://www.motherjones.com/food/2019/05/bayer-just-lost-another-lawsuit-claiming-roundup-caused-cancer/