In late May, a tanker car at Pureland Industrial Park in Logan Township began leaking due to a malfunctioning valve stem. The tanker was filled with propylene, a colorless fuel gas with a naturally pungent smell. Propylene is flammable and considered volatile. The tanker can hold up to 30,000 gallons of this dangerous gas, but it is not known how much leaked out before the leak was found and stopped. One person who was present at the industrial park suffered non-life threatening personal injuries.
Injured by Hazardous Material Leaks
The spill or leakage of hazardous materials can be devastating to a community’s environment, and poses a serious danger to anyone who is exposed. The unpredictable nature of these leaks means that people can suffer injury before they are alerted to the incident or evacuated. Depending on what the hazardous material is, the results of exposure could be fatal.
The damages that can be incurred due to a hazardous material spill can be serious. In situations like this, victims may be able to seek legal recourse from a variety of parties. Among the damages that the victims can seek:
- Costs associated with medical care needed following the accident as well as any future needed care. Care might include physical therapy, mental health counseling or treatment for a chronic condition
- The value of property lost due to a hazardous material leak, even including a drop in property value due to larger spills
- Any financial burdens placed on a victim of the spill, including lost wages, lost potential future income, costs needed to evacuate a leak area temporarily or permanently and serious property damage
Cases involving exposure to toxic or hazardous chemicals can be complicated, especially while dealing with the serious impact of exposure injuries. Proving that a company or person was negligent and that negligence led to your injuries can take a lot of time and resources. That is why it is important to speak to a personal injury attorney as soon as possible.
