When most of us think of handling hazardous materials, we think of strange looking vehicles with bio-hazard symbols and people in hazmat suits dealing with some sort of green mixture of unidentified chemicals. But in places like New York City, there are all types of hazardous materials that may not be readily recognizable by the average person. Some of these items are just oils and fuel materials that have a great deal of toxicity, while others are products used routinely in manufacturing that produce dangerous “off-gases.” A new report in the digital publication CityLimits.org showed that over 7000 city inspections of commercial and industrial locations around the urban area resulted in almost 500 violations related to hazardous waste. One of the points made in the article was the idea that some facilities have more of a hazardous material or contain many more hazardous items than others. From a cursory look at a report by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, we see clues about the scope of some of the more extreme scenarios. For example, over 1000 facilities were included as “facilities reporting 10,000 pounds or more of a hazardous substance.” Using available public maps, citizens can learn more about what is in their neighborhood and how companies are handling different kinds of hazardous materials.
Protecting Residents
It’s tempting to think of injury law as simply being a remedy for things like broken legs and impact trauma, but it’s just as crucial for injury lawyers to assess atmospheric or environmental problems in or around someone’s living space. Parties that operate in dense urban spaces are responsible for controlling the effects of hazardous materials kept there, including the emission of fumes or vapors and the spread of toxicity from any sort of industrial location. Injury lawyers may look at such cases after a complaint about short-term or long-term harm to someone who has come in contact with hazardous materials. These legal professionals do the required fact-finding to determine what sort of exposure occurred and look at how to link it to health conditions a client may be experiencing, as well as how to support any evidence of third-party responsibility to compensate the injury victim. Using knowledge of federal, state and local law and case precedent, qualified injury lawyers can make a case for a personal injury claim that can bring in much-needed money to handle elements of both short-term and long-term care and treatment. This is critical for injury victims whose conditions will be ongoing.
Call a New York City Catastrophic Injury Law Firm Today
New York City residents harmed by hazardous substances can call the lawyers at Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff & Wolff. We work to support clients every step of the way and carefully consider their rights and options in a personal injury case. Let us help you bring a claim to New York courts today.
