Benzene exposure can lead to serious health hazards including but not limited to Leukemia, a particularly fatal type of cancer of the bone marrow. Typically, benzene exposure occurs in three ways:
• Inhalation: Inhaling benzene vapors becomes hazardous when a person is exposed to significant levels of benzene over a long period of time. Benzene inhalation may lead to chronic headache, dizziness, asthma, drowsiness, loss of consciousness, and in extreme cases, death.
• Absorption: People working with materials that contain benzene run the risk of absorbing this toxic substance through their skin. Significant quantities of benzene absorbed transdermally may lead to the development of red patches on the skin, deficiency of blood and scaling dermatitis.
• Ingestion: Benzene ingestion is a serious cause of concern in the US. Water and soil contamination through spillage is not uncommon and there are approximately 10,000 sites across the US dealing with contamination of one kind or the other. Ingestion may lead to nausea, vomiting, dizziness, convulsions and death.
Today, benzene is still to be found in a number of consumer and commercial products. The National Cancer Institute reports that more than 12,000 cases of benzene related leukemia are diagnosed annually. Benzene is listed as one of the top twenty chemicals produced in the US.
As a result, hundreds of workers are exposed to Benzene every year. In case of a spillage on their work clothes, these workers are placing their family members also at risk of benzene exposure. People most likely to risk exposure are those who come into contact with benzene through their occupation. This puts a large number of workers like leather manufacturers, painters, refinery workers, laborers, pipe fitters and gasoline distributors at risk.
If you suspect benzene exposure, then you need to find a benzene exposure attorney to represent you so you can get compensated for your injuries. You must select a lawyer who has had past experience dealing with benzene litigation. In most cases, your first consultation with a benzene exposure attorney will be free of charge because this meeting would only assess whether you have a case in hand.
A benzene attorney can get compensation for you in various areas like medical costs, loss of potential earnings and compensation for pain and suffering. In case of wrongful death, your attorney will get compensation for those left behind. The exact compensation amount will be decided according to the circumstances of your injury and the extent of suffering.
Benzene Exposure Attorneys - With over 51 years of legal experience, Shelton Law Group has helped thousands of individuals and families who have been affected by toxic product exposures like mesothelioma, asbestos and benzene to receive the compensation they are owed.