Vinyl Chloride Exposure Lawsuit in 2024 | Things to Know
If you or someone you know has worked with vinyl chloride or polyvinyl chloride PVC and suffered any side effects or developed conditions, such as brain cancer, liver cancer, lung cancer, angiosarcoma, Raynaud’s syndrome, scleroderma, cholangiocarcinoma or acro-osteolysis, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries when you file a vinyl chloride exposure lawsuit in 2024.
With legal advice from top lawyers with years of experience handling such cases, you will be able to learn the latest 2024 updates on vinyl chloride to increase your chances of winning your vinyl chloride exposure lawsuit.
Vinyl chloride and the risks associated with it
Vinyl chloride (VC) is a widely used chemical known as a material in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic and vinyl products. From the production to disposal stage, vinyl chloride threatens the health and contaminates the environment. The harmful health effects of vinyl chloride have been known for decades; however, the industry has suppressed and misrepresented the real health effects of PVC exposures for years.
Most cancer-related vinyl chloride exposure lawsuit have been associated with occupational exposure, wherein workers were regularly and highly exposed to vinyl chloride through inhalation and oral exposure. High levels of vinyl chloride may cause serious central nervous system effects. In addition, long-term exposure has resulted in liver damage and rare cancer called angiosarcoma.
In addition, as early as the 1950s, industry experiments in laboratory animals have found various evidence of harm, but officials did not initially disclose the findings. PVC manufacturers also delayed the release of study results that showed rodents exposed at levels much lower than the allowable workplace exposure limits developed liver sarcoma. Later, the vinyl industry commissioned an epidemiologist to downplay the associated non-liver cancer risks of vinyl chloride, all while the evidence of links to brain cancer continued to mount and workers continued to die from cancer.
Symptoms of VC exposure
Some individuals exposed to high levels of VC at the workplace develop a unique set of symptoms medical experts call “vinyl chloride disease.” In this disease, the changes in the bones at the end of the fingers cause numbness, joint and muscle pain, and skin changes. Other early signs and symptoms of toxic exposure may include:
- Dizziness.
- Eye irritation.
- Fatigue.
- Kidney irritation.
- Cardiac arrhythmias.
- Memory loss.
- Peripheral neuropathy.
Symptoms of related cancer will depend on where it originated and if it has spread to other parts of the body. For example, soft-tissue sarcomas may not cause any signs or symptoms at all in its early stages.
However, as the tumor grows, it may cause noticeable lumps or swelling. Tumors may spread in an irregular pattern near the skin surface or as masses in internal organs. Primary origins of angiosarcoma include the heart, breast, neck, head, liver, spleen, bone, or brain.
Does vinyl chloride cause cancer?
Vinyl chloride exposure is linked with a higher risk of a rare form of liver cancer called angiosarcoma, as well as several other serious conditions, including the following:
- Angiosarcoma
- Brain cancer.
- Birth defects.
- Blood clotting.
- Lung cancer.
- Lymphoma.
- Leukemia.
- Oral cancer.
- Liver cancer.
- Kidney damage.
- Male infertility.
Cases of toxic exposure settlements
There are hundreds of thousands of people in the United States who work in production sites using vinyl chloride. Thousands of others work with the secondary toxic products in cables, flooring, fabrication, siding, medical equipment, electrical wiring, and other products. Nevertheless, former workers in the homebuilding, automotive, and chemical plastics industries are likely to have been exposed to toxins. As a result, they may have a vinyl chloride exposure claim against former manufacturers and employers.
Workers and residents exposed to vinyl chloride
One of the biggest dangers of VC occurs during the production process. First, the vinyl chloride monomer is produced and shipped to plants that produce a polyvinyl chloride resin. At this stage, VC is polymerized and then fabricated into a myriad of finished products. However, if it is exposed as a result of breathing the chemical’s vapors, the body’s central nervous system may be depressed. Acute exposures may result in lightheadedness and nausea. Severe exposure may cause death.
Chronic exposure can also lead to liver damage and brain tumor formation. Understandably, it might take a while before victims file their vinyl chloride claims because some conditions may take up to 15 years to develop after the initial exposure.
Industrial vinyl chloride exposure
The highest levels of VC cases are found in the air around factories that produce vinyl products. The majority of those who fall ill after heavy exposure work in an environment where vinyl chloride is discharged as gas is from factories that manufacture or process vinyl chloride, automotive production sites, or chemical waste storage. Nevertheless, occupational exposure to VC may also occur during transport, disposal, or handling of a finished product, such as on a home building site.
Vinyl chloride exposure litigation lawsuit can be filed against manufacturers of vinyl chloride or any other employer that subjects employees to unsafe conditions that result in an injury or illness.
Many corporations around the country know how dangerous this toxic substance is but choose not to warn or properly protect employees. As a result, the companies can be held liable by vinyl chloride exposure lawyers nationwide to compensate victims.
The American VC and PVC products
Here are some companies that are known for using products with vinyl chloride.
- Atkore Plastic Pipe.
- Crumpler Plastic Pipe Corp.
- Dow Chemical Co.
- GenCorp.
- JM Eagle.
- Cresline Plastic Pipe Co.
- Pacific Plastic Inc.
- Spears Manufacturing Co.
- North American Pipe Corp.
- National Pipe & Plastics Inc.
- Monsanto Chemical Co.
- Shell Oil Co.
Importance of choosing a qualified vinyl chloride exposure attorney
Exposure to vinyl chloride, phthalate plasticizers, and other chemical additives is associated with a broad array of developmental and behavioral abnormalities in humans and wildlife species. Therefore, having an experienced and skilled vinyl chloride exposure attorney by your side will help you get fair compensation for your case. As these experienced lawyers have years of experience handling such cases, you can rest assured you will get a fair vinyl chloride exposure settlement with a hassle-free procedure.
Why hire Ethen Ostroff Law?
For a successful vinyl chloride exposure lawsuit, the victim needs the support and assistance of a meticulous, diligent, and reliable lawyer.
Ethen Ostroff Law is committed to finding you the best lawyer for the job. We will provide you with the best references for vinyl chloride lawyers in Philadelphia with extensive experience investigating and litigating these types of cases.
What are you waiting for? Contact Ethen Ostroff Law now at 610-510-8883 ( by calling this number, you consent to receive SMS updates from Ethen Ostroff Law) or Submit Form to get free consultation.
