People use hazardous products on a regular basis—some probably are around them every day of their lives. When used properly, they act as excellent cleaning agents or help machines run smoothly. But when they’re not used for their intended purpose, are made with a flaw, or don’t explain how someone should use the product, they can easily injure someone.
If you’ve been injured because someone was negligent with a hazardous product, the Law Office of Todd W. Burris can help. A skilled Lexington product liability lawyer will fight for your rights and do everything to get you compensation for your injuries. During this time, you may have incurred medical bills or have missed work, and don’t have a way to pay those bills. Your compensation will give you financial support so you can focus on your recovery in peace.
Hazardous Products Are More Common Than You Think
Hazardous products don’t all come with a skull and crossbones on the label. Many of them are common household items and you probably use them to make your life easier. You may not be aware of the damage these materials can cause if you absorb them in any way.
Common household hazardous products include:
- Cleaners. This includes ammonia, bleach, or other cleaners used to clean the oven or clear a drain.
- Paint. Paints, varnishes, or paint thinners are hazardous.
- Garden Products. In the spring time, you may be using products like insecticides, sprays to kill weeds, and keep your garden from things that will cause it harm. But those products used to keep it safe can harm you if you’re not careful.
- Car Products. Many products that keep a car running well are hazardous. Anti-freeze, oil, and gasoline could probably be found in your garage.
You may not think of these products as hazardous, but things like makeup, nail polish remover, and medication can be hazardous. You can check how hazardous the product is by inspecting the label. Somewhat hazardous but still dangerous products should have a warning label that advises caution when using the product. Extremely dangerous materials should have a label that explicitly states the product is dangerous.
How Do Hazardous Product Cause Injuries?
You can suffer some serious injuries when you’re around hazardous products. They don’t always have to make contact with your skin. Sometimes breathing in hazardous materials for too long can have adverse health effects.
- They’re Flammable. These hazardous materials can easily catch fire, which can cause burns, lung damage from the smoke, and property damage if the fire isn’t put out.
- They’re Toxic. Dangerous when absorbed by the body. This could be from inhalation, swallowing, or it comes into contact with skin.
- They’re Corrosive. Materials that are corrosive can burn whatever it comes in contact with. Burns can be devastating injuries that vary in degrees. Mild burns will irritate the first layer of your skin and may not require medical attention. But second degree burns get below the skin and third degree burns can get to the muscle and soft tissue. These require immediate medical attention and could have permanent nerve damage or scarring.
- They’re Radioactive. These hazards affect you at the cellular level and can hurt or kill your cells.
Sometimes, hazardous materials can permeate into our environment, whether it’s through water or the air. Contaminated water or polluted air can cause myriad health problems and you may not be able to tell what the original hazardous material was because it’s in the environment.
Treating injuries from hazardous products may be more than seeing a doctor and taking a prescription. There could be hospital visits, medical tests, or an ongoing treatment that will take months to heal. In other words, these injuries can turn your life upside down.
Hazardous products should be safely labeled so people know how to properly use the product and they need to be properly stored so no one can get hurt on accident. Negligence can come from the manufacturer and designer, or it could be someone in the workplace neglecting to use or store the product safely. When this negligence causes you harm, you deserve an attorney who is going to prioritize your rights and wellbeing.
