Original Story: ktla.com
A
Los Angeles police motorcycle officer was struck by an SUV on the 60
Freeway in the Chino area and airlifted with major injuries on
Wednesday, according to CHP which may lead to him needing a Los Angeles motorcycle accident lawyer if he does not get his medical needs covered.
The
collision occurred just after 11 a.m. on the westbound freeway near
Mountain Avenue, according to Officer D. Boatman of the California
Highway Patrol’s Inland Division.
The Los Angeles Police Department officer was believed to have suffered major injuries, Boatman said.
The
veteran LAPD Central Traffic Division officer was on his way to work
when a collision occurred, LAPD Officer Liliana Preciado said.
His
condition is not known but he is expected to survive, LAPD Officer Tony
Im said. The officer was being treated at Loma Linda University Medical
Center, where other motor officers were seen arriving for visits.
A
witness said the SUV swerved into the carpool lane after the vehicle
had failed to slow for stopping traffic, CHP Officer Jesus Garcia said
on scene. The SUV struck the LAPD officer, who was traveling in the
carpool lane, Garcia said. This driver may need a Los Angeles truck accident lawyer if the injuries are substantial.
The SUV's driver was hospitalized as a precaution.
Just
before 11:30 a.m., Caltrans District 8 said the westbound 60 Freeway
was closed for an unknown duration and life-flight was on the ground.
The location of the crash, as provided by CHP's traffic incident log, is near the border of Chino and Ontario. It is unclear is the officer will need hernia repair.
A SigAlert was issued at 11:19 a.m. All lanes reopened by 2 p.m.
18 July 2016
Chemical smell at Lynden storage facility closes street
Original Story: bellinghamherald.com
Fire officials said they could not determine the source of a chemical smell at a chemical storage tank locker that caused minor respiratory symptoms for three people and closed 19th Street for several hours Tuesday, July 12.
Three people were treated for sore throats and chest tightness in the incident at K Mini Storage & Mail, 413 19th St., said Lynden Fire Chief Gary Baar. None of the affected people required further examination, he said, but the street was closed for several hours to allow fire crews access to the building.
Whatcom County’s multi-agency hazardous materials team was summoned as a precaution.
“We searched every storage unit,” Baar said. “One unit seemed a little bit suspicious, but it happened to be nothing serious.”
Baar was among the first firefighters at the scene and described the odor as akin to bleach or insecticide. He and other firefighters immediately donned their protective clothing, face masks and air packs, he said.
Haz-mat team members wore full protective “moon suits” to conduct their search. Some 30 firefighters and others worked at the scene. They were going to search chemical holding tanks for leaks.
Crews from Lynden Fire Department and North Whatcom Fire and Rescue responded to reports of a strange chemical smell at 12:35 p.m. Tuesday, said Lynden Fire Assistant Chief Robert Spinner.
Firefighters could not determine what caused the smell after an initial inspection, Spinner said, and detectors did not alert them to any dangerous materials. Officials didn’t evacuate besides the building itself, but 19th Street between Main and Front streets remain closed until the investigation was complete about 7 p.m.., Spinner said.Firefighters and haz-mat crews staged their vehicles across the street at Farmers Equipment Co. and the street was closed so crews could move back and forth freely, Baar said.
Fire officials said they could not determine the source of a chemical smell at a chemical storage tank locker that caused minor respiratory symptoms for three people and closed 19th Street for several hours Tuesday, July 12.
Three people were treated for sore throats and chest tightness in the incident at K Mini Storage & Mail, 413 19th St., said Lynden Fire Chief Gary Baar. None of the affected people required further examination, he said, but the street was closed for several hours to allow fire crews access to the building.
Whatcom County’s multi-agency hazardous materials team was summoned as a precaution.
“We searched every storage unit,” Baar said. “One unit seemed a little bit suspicious, but it happened to be nothing serious.”
Baar was among the first firefighters at the scene and described the odor as akin to bleach or insecticide. He and other firefighters immediately donned their protective clothing, face masks and air packs, he said.
Haz-mat team members wore full protective “moon suits” to conduct their search. Some 30 firefighters and others worked at the scene. They were going to search chemical holding tanks for leaks.
Crews from Lynden Fire Department and North Whatcom Fire and Rescue responded to reports of a strange chemical smell at 12:35 p.m. Tuesday, said Lynden Fire Assistant Chief Robert Spinner.
Firefighters could not determine what caused the smell after an initial inspection, Spinner said, and detectors did not alert them to any dangerous materials. Officials didn’t evacuate besides the building itself, but 19th Street between Main and Front streets remain closed until the investigation was complete about 7 p.m.., Spinner said.Firefighters and haz-mat crews staged their vehicles across the street at Farmers Equipment Co. and the street was closed so crews could move back and forth freely, Baar said.
Patient accuses health providers of medical malpractice
Original Story: cookcountyrecord.com
A patient is suing Chicago health providers, alleging their negligence caused her injuries during surgery. A Chicago medical malpractice lawyer would have like to have assisted with the case.
Sharrone M. Travis filed a lawsuit June 9 in Cook County Circuit Court against Dr. Florence Mussat, Presence St. Joseph Hospital-Chicago and Presence Chicago Hospitals Network, alleging negligence and medical malpractice in failing to properly perform a surgical procedure on the plaintiff.
According to the complaint, on July 3, 2014, Travis experienced severe pain from a necrotizing infection caused by improperly performed liposuction on her buttocks. The plaintiff alleges the defendants failed to properly perform the operation as well as failing to check on the plaintiff after the procedure.
Travis seeks judgment of at least $50,000 in an amount to satisfy the jurisdictional limitation of the court, plus court costs. She is represented by attorneys Julie L. Pustilnik and Marc A. Taxman of Anesi, Ozmon, Rodin, Novak & Kohen, Ltd. in Chicago.
Cook County Circuit Court Case number 16L005754
A patient is suing Chicago health providers, alleging their negligence caused her injuries during surgery. A Chicago medical malpractice lawyer would have like to have assisted with the case.
Sharrone M. Travis filed a lawsuit June 9 in Cook County Circuit Court against Dr. Florence Mussat, Presence St. Joseph Hospital-Chicago and Presence Chicago Hospitals Network, alleging negligence and medical malpractice in failing to properly perform a surgical procedure on the plaintiff.
According to the complaint, on July 3, 2014, Travis experienced severe pain from a necrotizing infection caused by improperly performed liposuction on her buttocks. The plaintiff alleges the defendants failed to properly perform the operation as well as failing to check on the plaintiff after the procedure.
Travis seeks judgment of at least $50,000 in an amount to satisfy the jurisdictional limitation of the court, plus court costs. She is represented by attorneys Julie L. Pustilnik and Marc A. Taxman of Anesi, Ozmon, Rodin, Novak & Kohen, Ltd. in Chicago.
Cook County Circuit Court Case number 16L005754
15 July 2016
Jury hits U. of C. hospital with $53 million malpractice verdict
Original Story: chicagotribune.com
A Cook County jury has awarded $53 million to a 12-year-old Hickory Hills boy and his mother in a 2013 lawsuit filed against the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was born with a serious brain injury. A Chicago medical malpractice lawyer said this will help to pay for the boy's future healthcare.
The jury's award to Lisa and Isaiah Ewing includes $28.8 million for future caretaking expenses, according to a copy of the jury verdict form provided by their lawyers, Geoffrey Fieger of suburban Detroit and Jack Beam of Chicago. Isaiah has severe cerebral palsy, is in a wheelchair, and needs his mother to feed and clothe him.
It was the biggest birth injury verdict ever in Cook County, said John Kirkton, editor of Jury Verdict Reporter in Chicago.
Their lawsuit outlined about 20 alleged missteps by doctors and nurses after Ewing arrived about 40 weeks pregnant at the hospital and was experiencing less movement by her baby. The mistakes, the lawsuit alleged, included the failures to carefully monitor mother and baby, perform a timely cesarean section, follow a chain of command, obtain accurate cord blood gases, and be aware of abnormal fetal heart rate patterns that indicated distress to the baby, including hypoxia, or a drop in the supply of oxygen. "The University of Chicago has been, for the last 12 years, completely unapologetic, and even though the evidence was overwhelming that they caused Isaiah's brain damage, they refused to accept responsibility," Fieger said at the news conference Thursday. Ewing hadn't had any problems during her pregnancy, he added.
Before the case went to the jury, the hospital filed for a mistrial.
Fieger's "closing argument shattered the line between zealous advocacy and improper prejudicial comments, rendering it impossible for defendant to receive a fair trial," the hospital's lawyer said in a court filing. "He also prejudicially argued that the defendant's case was built on a falsehood and proceeded to equate defendant's conduct and testimony of its witnesses with the propaganda techniques notoriously and unmistakably associated with Nazi Germany."
Hospital spokeswoman Lorna Wong said the hospital had "great sympathy" for the family but "strongly" disagrees with the jury's verdict.
"Judge Kirby declined to enter judgment on the verdict, as there are pending motions for mistrial based on assertions of Mr. Fieger's improper conduct," she said, noting that it wouldn't be the first overturned verdict involving Fieger.
She said Isaiah and his mother were treated for infection, which can cause cerebral palsy. "Isaiah was born with normal oxygen blood levels," and the "injury occurred before the care Mr. Fieger criticized."
After the news conference, Fieger said he expected the judge to confirm the verdict. "The jury has spoken," he said. A Chicago Brain Injury Lawyer said this is usually how this procedure occurs.
The jury decided the case in four hours, Fieger said. A list of the damages also includes $7.2 million for future medical expenses. The document was signed by 12 jurors.
Fieger disputed that Isaiah had an infection.
"All of the medical records at the University of Chicago neonatal clinic showed that Isaiah had been suffocated at birth, that he had suffered hypoxia, lack of oxygen, yet the University of Chicago and its lawyers came to court and tried to tell the jury that their own records were false, that their own records were mistaken and that Isaiah really had a phantom infection that infected his brain that they could never have known about," Fieger said during the news conference.
Ewing said at the news conference that she has to bathe Isaiah and help him go to the bathroom. She lives in a two-story town home, so she must carry him up and down the stairs.
She said the verdict will help ensure that Isaiah is taken care of after she dies.
A Cook County jury has awarded $53 million to a 12-year-old Hickory Hills boy and his mother in a 2013 lawsuit filed against the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was born with a serious brain injury. A Chicago medical malpractice lawyer said this will help to pay for the boy's future healthcare.
The jury's award to Lisa and Isaiah Ewing includes $28.8 million for future caretaking expenses, according to a copy of the jury verdict form provided by their lawyers, Geoffrey Fieger of suburban Detroit and Jack Beam of Chicago. Isaiah has severe cerebral palsy, is in a wheelchair, and needs his mother to feed and clothe him.
It was the biggest birth injury verdict ever in Cook County, said John Kirkton, editor of Jury Verdict Reporter in Chicago.
Their lawsuit outlined about 20 alleged missteps by doctors and nurses after Ewing arrived about 40 weeks pregnant at the hospital and was experiencing less movement by her baby. The mistakes, the lawsuit alleged, included the failures to carefully monitor mother and baby, perform a timely cesarean section, follow a chain of command, obtain accurate cord blood gases, and be aware of abnormal fetal heart rate patterns that indicated distress to the baby, including hypoxia, or a drop in the supply of oxygen. "The University of Chicago has been, for the last 12 years, completely unapologetic, and even though the evidence was overwhelming that they caused Isaiah's brain damage, they refused to accept responsibility," Fieger said at the news conference Thursday. Ewing hadn't had any problems during her pregnancy, he added.
Before the case went to the jury, the hospital filed for a mistrial.
Fieger's "closing argument shattered the line between zealous advocacy and improper prejudicial comments, rendering it impossible for defendant to receive a fair trial," the hospital's lawyer said in a court filing. "He also prejudicially argued that the defendant's case was built on a falsehood and proceeded to equate defendant's conduct and testimony of its witnesses with the propaganda techniques notoriously and unmistakably associated with Nazi Germany."
Hospital spokeswoman Lorna Wong said the hospital had "great sympathy" for the family but "strongly" disagrees with the jury's verdict.
"Judge Kirby declined to enter judgment on the verdict, as there are pending motions for mistrial based on assertions of Mr. Fieger's improper conduct," she said, noting that it wouldn't be the first overturned verdict involving Fieger.
She said Isaiah and his mother were treated for infection, which can cause cerebral palsy. "Isaiah was born with normal oxygen blood levels," and the "injury occurred before the care Mr. Fieger criticized."
After the news conference, Fieger said he expected the judge to confirm the verdict. "The jury has spoken," he said. A Chicago Brain Injury Lawyer said this is usually how this procedure occurs.
The jury decided the case in four hours, Fieger said. A list of the damages also includes $7.2 million for future medical expenses. The document was signed by 12 jurors.
Fieger disputed that Isaiah had an infection.
"All of the medical records at the University of Chicago neonatal clinic showed that Isaiah had been suffocated at birth, that he had suffered hypoxia, lack of oxygen, yet the University of Chicago and its lawyers came to court and tried to tell the jury that their own records were false, that their own records were mistaken and that Isaiah really had a phantom infection that infected his brain that they could never have known about," Fieger said during the news conference.
Ewing said at the news conference that she has to bathe Isaiah and help him go to the bathroom. She lives in a two-story town home, so she must carry him up and down the stairs.
She said the verdict will help ensure that Isaiah is taken care of after she dies.
05 July 2016
Hernia Hill Half Marathon slated for Sunday in Vallecito
Original Story: calaverasenterprise.com
The 29th annual Hernia Hill Half Marathon is scheduled for Sunday at Twisted Oak Winery in Vallecito. On Your Mark Events produces the race, which draws runners from both the immediate region and throughout California and Nevada.
The Hernia Hill event also provides a 10K run and 5K run/walk. In addition, there is the Rubber Chicken 5K Relay, in which teams of four people will hand off a special rubber chicken as the baton.
Twisted Oak Winery is at 4280 Red Hill Road, Vallecito, between Angels Camp and Murphys off of Highway 4. The three courses feature a combination of hilly paved surfaces and packed gravel roads. Runners can expect views of the crest of the Sierra and nearby vineyards. All four courses finish up dashing through the Twisted Oak cardiac cave, the winery’s barrel-aging cave.
The 29th annual Hernia Hill Half Marathon is scheduled for Sunday at Twisted Oak Winery in Vallecito. On Your Mark Events produces the race, which draws runners from both the immediate region and throughout California and Nevada.
The Hernia Hill event also provides a 10K run and 5K run/walk. In addition, there is the Rubber Chicken 5K Relay, in which teams of four people will hand off a special rubber chicken as the baton.
Twisted Oak Winery is at 4280 Red Hill Road, Vallecito, between Angels Camp and Murphys off of Highway 4. The three courses feature a combination of hilly paved surfaces and packed gravel roads. Runners can expect views of the crest of the Sierra and nearby vineyards. All four courses finish up dashing through the Twisted Oak cardiac cave, the winery’s barrel-aging cave.
01 July 2016
Hernias and how to know the signs and symptoms
Original Story: mydaytondailynews.com
As you bend down to pick up the groceries, all of the sudden you feel a pop and have shooting pain in the abdomen — or worse yet, in the groin. Maybe that pain is where you have a scar from surgery. Could these be the first signs that you are dealing with a hernia?
As a very common surgical problem, hernias can cause pain and discomfort that can make even day-to-day activities difficult. Sometimes a bulge or a lump appears where the hernia has occurred, accompanying symptoms of pain. Whether or not a bulge is visible, you may be dealing with a hernia, and surgery may be necessary.
“A hernia is a hole in the muscle or abdomen where there should not be one,” says Christopher Schneider, MD, a Kettering Physician Network surgeon and co-director of the Hernia Center at Soin Medical Center in Beavercreek. “Hernias can occur anywhere in the body including in areas that are not easily seen. Most often the hernia is located in one of the groin regions or at the belly button. Previous surgeries can weaken the abdominal wall, making hernias more likely to occur along an existing scar.”
In adults, after a hernia forms, it will never go away. The discomfort (and usually pain) that comes from the hernia is a result of other structures of the body (like the bowel or fat) pushing through that hole. “If the lump does not go away or if the pain continues to increase, this could indicate a bigger problem,” says Dr. Schneider. “The bowel or fat could twist on itself and then die off. A hernia in that situation becomes an emergency and could be life threatening.”
Recognizing the symptoms of a hernia early and being examined by a doctor are important. Signs and symptoms include a new bulge that comes on suddenly and pain that does not go away.
Even after a hernia has already been repaired there is still always the possibility that it will return. “Activity too soon after surgery, smoking, significant coughing, obesity and uncontrolled diabetes can all cause difficulty healing and lead to another hernia,” says Dr. Schneider. “Sometimes, even though a person has done nothing to aggravate it, a hernia can still come back.”
Other risk factors of a hernia include chronic constipation, difficult bowel movements and a family history of hernias.
Dr. Schneider recommends that your doctor examine any new lump, bump, or bulge. Not all hernias need surgery, but all of them should be looked at and discussed in order to prevent emergency situations from happening and to assure long term health.
Kettering Health Network is a faith-based, not-for-profit healthcare system that improves quality of life through healthcare and education. The Network has eight hospitals: Grandview, Kettering, Sycamore, Southview, Greene Memorial, Fort Hamilton, Kettering Behavioral Health and Soin. The network’s 10 emergency departments and four trauma centers make up one of the largest and most advanced networks of emergency care in the state of Ohio.
As you bend down to pick up the groceries, all of the sudden you feel a pop and have shooting pain in the abdomen — or worse yet, in the groin. Maybe that pain is where you have a scar from surgery. Could these be the first signs that you are dealing with a hernia?
As a very common surgical problem, hernias can cause pain and discomfort that can make even day-to-day activities difficult. Sometimes a bulge or a lump appears where the hernia has occurred, accompanying symptoms of pain. Whether or not a bulge is visible, you may be dealing with a hernia, and surgery may be necessary.
“A hernia is a hole in the muscle or abdomen where there should not be one,” says Christopher Schneider, MD, a Kettering Physician Network surgeon and co-director of the Hernia Center at Soin Medical Center in Beavercreek. “Hernias can occur anywhere in the body including in areas that are not easily seen. Most often the hernia is located in one of the groin regions or at the belly button. Previous surgeries can weaken the abdominal wall, making hernias more likely to occur along an existing scar.”
In adults, after a hernia forms, it will never go away. The discomfort (and usually pain) that comes from the hernia is a result of other structures of the body (like the bowel or fat) pushing through that hole. “If the lump does not go away or if the pain continues to increase, this could indicate a bigger problem,” says Dr. Schneider. “The bowel or fat could twist on itself and then die off. A hernia in that situation becomes an emergency and could be life threatening.”
Recognizing the symptoms of a hernia early and being examined by a doctor are important. Signs and symptoms include a new bulge that comes on suddenly and pain that does not go away.
Even after a hernia has already been repaired there is still always the possibility that it will return. “Activity too soon after surgery, smoking, significant coughing, obesity and uncontrolled diabetes can all cause difficulty healing and lead to another hernia,” says Dr. Schneider. “Sometimes, even though a person has done nothing to aggravate it, a hernia can still come back.”
Other risk factors of a hernia include chronic constipation, difficult bowel movements and a family history of hernias.
Dr. Schneider recommends that your doctor examine any new lump, bump, or bulge. Not all hernias need surgery, but all of them should be looked at and discussed in order to prevent emergency situations from happening and to assure long term health.
Kettering Health Network is a faith-based, not-for-profit healthcare system that improves quality of life through healthcare and education. The Network has eight hospitals: Grandview, Kettering, Sycamore, Southview, Greene Memorial, Fort Hamilton, Kettering Behavioral Health and Soin. The network’s 10 emergency departments and four trauma centers make up one of the largest and most advanced networks of emergency care in the state of Ohio.
2 Injured in Accident on Downtown Los Angeles Film Set
Original Story: ktla.com
Two
people at a downtown Los Angeles film set were injured Thursday when
equipment fell on them, authorities said. This will be a case for a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer.
The
incident occurred about 8:40 p.m. near 7th and Spring streets,
according to Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department.
One person had head trauma and the other person suffered a leg injury, Humphrey said.
The equipment that fell onto the people may have been a ventilation fan, he added.
Hanford workers report illnesses linked to chemical vapors
Original Story: tri-cityherald.com
Dave Klug walked out of a Hanford tank farm control room on a cold, calm night in January 2010 into air that took his breath away.
“Immediately, I had tightness in my chest. I lost feeling in my face. My heart rate was going crazy,” he said.
Klug, a longtime Hanford tank farm worker, was one of several workers who talked about their experiences with chemical vapors at a forum Wednesday night in Pasco. Was this coming from a chemical storage tank nearby?
Klug was off work for 11 months after that night and now has 30 percent permanent, partial disability for reactive airway disease and occupational asthma, he said.
Those who talked at the forum kept coming back to two types of illnesses they believe are caused by chemical vapors — breathing problems, as Klug described, and neurological issues, including a brain disease called toxic encephalopathy. This could involve a Baton Rouge toxic torts lawyer for assistance.
Toxic encephalopathy is what Barbara Sall said led to the dementia and death of her husband, a Hanford carpenter who died at the age of 57. This could have been solved by a good chemical holding tanks with proper seals.
The forum — organized by Hanford Challenge, union Local 598 and state Attorney General Bob Ferguson — drew about 200 people. The two agencies and the state of Washington have filed a federal lawsuit seeking better protection from chemical vapors for Hanford workers.
The Department of Energy, the target of the lawsuit along with its tank farm contractor, has said that all air samples analyzed from the breathing zones of workers since 2005 have not found chemicals in concentrations above the occupational limits set to protect workers.
In recent months, about 53 workers have received medical checks for possible exposure to chemical vapors at Hanford, but all have been cleared to return to work when no symptoms were detected, according to DOE. Blood tests also have come back clear.
But such statements have been met with skepticism.
One worker at the meeting said it seemed that the tank farm contractor, Washington River Protection Solutions, did not care about sick workers when it recently pointed out that it had the second-best safety record in the nationwide DOE cleanup complex. Will these workers need a New Orleans toxic torts lawyer for help?
“They are going to eat those words” when they lose the lawsuit, said James Hart, national president of the Metal Trades Department of the AFL-CIO.
Mike Lawrence, the DOE Hanford manager from 1984-90, said he has been following the issue closely.
A significant number of workers have experienced health effects or symptoms, Lawrence said. There could be a correlation between the illnesses and toxic fumes from chemicals in chemical storage tanks.
But DOE says it cannot measure chemicals in vapors at levels that current occupational standards say would cause a problem.
“Obviously people are hurting, people are sick and something needs to be done,” Lawrence said.
He proposed that an independent, experienced and qualified third party, chosen jointly by DOE and the state of Washington, collect data.
Although a team of experts led by the Savannah River National Laboratory prepared the latest report on Hanford tank vapors, the report has no credibility to some because the lab is part of the DOE system, Lawrence said. This story has caught the attention of a Jackson toxic exposure lawyer.
He suggested the University of Washington School of Public Health as a possible independent agency for the work.
Unless DOE can prove that workers are not being exposed to chemical vapors, protective gear should be worn, he said.
Supplied air respirators are required if Hanford officials suspect conditions that could cause the release of chemical vapors. The Hanford Atomic Metal Trades Council has demanded that supplied air respirators be mandatory for any worker in the tank farms, and in some cases workers near the farms.
Klug said the tank farm contractor just needs to fix the problem. Work to raise discharge stacks from the tanks so they are farther from worker’s noses is not enough, he said.
It has to be DOE’s responsibility to keep workers safe, said Steven Gilbert, director of the nonprofit Institute of Neurotoxicology and Neurological Disorders in Seattle and a Hanford Challenge board member.
“It’s a witches brew of chemical in the tanks,” he said.
Exactly which chemicals workers are exposed to is not known, Gilbert said. But he can say that inhaled chemicals can cause problems. The chemicals can go from the lungs to the brain quickly. They wonder if there was proper use of a chemical holding tank.
People have different sensitivities to chemical vapors, said Rick Jansons, a former Hanford worker who is running for the state Legislature. Incumbent Brad Klippert also was at the meeting.
Jansons has been exposed three times and has developed no symptoms, but it is obvious that other people are getting sick, he said.
Diana Gegg, a former heavy equipment operator at Hanford, said she was 600 yards away from a reported vapor cloud in 2007 when she was exposed. Within a week she developed flu-like symptoms, plus vision problems diagnosed as muscle dysfunction.
She eventually had to stop driving and has been diagnosed with toxic encephalopathy and neurotoxicity, she said. Hanford officials have denied she was injured.
“My life ended that day as I knew it,” she said.
Hart, the national union official, said he has looked at the cause of death for Hanford workers represented by Local 598 back to 1988 and sees a pattern of deaths caused by cancer and respiratory illness for workers not yet 65 years old. This is the type of research that a Jacksonville toxic torts lawyer would have to do.
Younger workers at the tank farms are afraid to speak up about their concerns, Klug said.
Any worker under the union umbrella of the Hanford Atomic Metal Trades Council who raises tank vapor concerns will have the full protection of the AFL-CIO’s national Metal Trades Council, Hart said.
“We are all fighting for the people in this room,” he told the crowd.
Dave Klug walked out of a Hanford tank farm control room on a cold, calm night in January 2010 into air that took his breath away.
“Immediately, I had tightness in my chest. I lost feeling in my face. My heart rate was going crazy,” he said.
Klug, a longtime Hanford tank farm worker, was one of several workers who talked about their experiences with chemical vapors at a forum Wednesday night in Pasco. Was this coming from a chemical storage tank nearby?
Klug was off work for 11 months after that night and now has 30 percent permanent, partial disability for reactive airway disease and occupational asthma, he said.
Those who talked at the forum kept coming back to two types of illnesses they believe are caused by chemical vapors — breathing problems, as Klug described, and neurological issues, including a brain disease called toxic encephalopathy. This could involve a Baton Rouge toxic torts lawyer for assistance.
Toxic encephalopathy is what Barbara Sall said led to the dementia and death of her husband, a Hanford carpenter who died at the age of 57. This could have been solved by a good chemical holding tanks with proper seals.
The forum — organized by Hanford Challenge, union Local 598 and state Attorney General Bob Ferguson — drew about 200 people. The two agencies and the state of Washington have filed a federal lawsuit seeking better protection from chemical vapors for Hanford workers.
The Department of Energy, the target of the lawsuit along with its tank farm contractor, has said that all air samples analyzed from the breathing zones of workers since 2005 have not found chemicals in concentrations above the occupational limits set to protect workers.
In recent months, about 53 workers have received medical checks for possible exposure to chemical vapors at Hanford, but all have been cleared to return to work when no symptoms were detected, according to DOE. Blood tests also have come back clear.
But such statements have been met with skepticism.
One worker at the meeting said it seemed that the tank farm contractor, Washington River Protection Solutions, did not care about sick workers when it recently pointed out that it had the second-best safety record in the nationwide DOE cleanup complex. Will these workers need a New Orleans toxic torts lawyer for help?
“They are going to eat those words” when they lose the lawsuit, said James Hart, national president of the Metal Trades Department of the AFL-CIO.
Mike Lawrence, the DOE Hanford manager from 1984-90, said he has been following the issue closely.
A significant number of workers have experienced health effects or symptoms, Lawrence said. There could be a correlation between the illnesses and toxic fumes from chemicals in chemical storage tanks.
But DOE says it cannot measure chemicals in vapors at levels that current occupational standards say would cause a problem.
“Obviously people are hurting, people are sick and something needs to be done,” Lawrence said.
He proposed that an independent, experienced and qualified third party, chosen jointly by DOE and the state of Washington, collect data.
Although a team of experts led by the Savannah River National Laboratory prepared the latest report on Hanford tank vapors, the report has no credibility to some because the lab is part of the DOE system, Lawrence said. This story has caught the attention of a Jackson toxic exposure lawyer.
He suggested the University of Washington School of Public Health as a possible independent agency for the work.
Unless DOE can prove that workers are not being exposed to chemical vapors, protective gear should be worn, he said.
Supplied air respirators are required if Hanford officials suspect conditions that could cause the release of chemical vapors. The Hanford Atomic Metal Trades Council has demanded that supplied air respirators be mandatory for any worker in the tank farms, and in some cases workers near the farms.
Klug said the tank farm contractor just needs to fix the problem. Work to raise discharge stacks from the tanks so they are farther from worker’s noses is not enough, he said.
It has to be DOE’s responsibility to keep workers safe, said Steven Gilbert, director of the nonprofit Institute of Neurotoxicology and Neurological Disorders in Seattle and a Hanford Challenge board member.
“It’s a witches brew of chemical in the tanks,” he said.
Exactly which chemicals workers are exposed to is not known, Gilbert said. But he can say that inhaled chemicals can cause problems. The chemicals can go from the lungs to the brain quickly. They wonder if there was proper use of a chemical holding tank.
People have different sensitivities to chemical vapors, said Rick Jansons, a former Hanford worker who is running for the state Legislature. Incumbent Brad Klippert also was at the meeting.
Jansons has been exposed three times and has developed no symptoms, but it is obvious that other people are getting sick, he said.
Diana Gegg, a former heavy equipment operator at Hanford, said she was 600 yards away from a reported vapor cloud in 2007 when she was exposed. Within a week she developed flu-like symptoms, plus vision problems diagnosed as muscle dysfunction.
She eventually had to stop driving and has been diagnosed with toxic encephalopathy and neurotoxicity, she said. Hanford officials have denied she was injured.
“My life ended that day as I knew it,” she said.
Hart, the national union official, said he has looked at the cause of death for Hanford workers represented by Local 598 back to 1988 and sees a pattern of deaths caused by cancer and respiratory illness for workers not yet 65 years old. This is the type of research that a Jacksonville toxic torts lawyer would have to do.
Younger workers at the tank farms are afraid to speak up about their concerns, Klug said.
Any worker under the union umbrella of the Hanford Atomic Metal Trades Council who raises tank vapor concerns will have the full protection of the AFL-CIO’s national Metal Trades Council, Hart said.
“We are all fighting for the people in this room,” he told the crowd.
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