Class Action Lawsuit Filed on Behalf of West Virginia Residents Affected by Recent Chemical Spill
Charleston, West Virginia (PRWEB) January 11, 2014 -- A class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of West Virginia residents who were affected by the recent chemical spill in Elk River. As pointed out in the lawsuit, the spill has resulted in many residents not being able drink, bathe or wash clothes in the contaminated water; the office of the Governor of West Virginia has declared a state of emergency because of the spill. The suit was filed by Parker Waichman LLP, The Bell Law Firm, PLLC and Neblett, Beard & Arsenault.
Parker Waichman LLP, a national law firm dedicated to protecting victims of toxic exposure, has filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of a West Virginia woman and all others similarly situated over a chemical spill that occurred in Elk River on January 9, 2014. Additionally, the Plaintiff class is being represented by two other distinguished law firms: The Bell Law Firm, PLLC and Neblett, Beard & Arsenault. The suit was filed on January 10, 2014 in the Circuit Court of Kanawha County, West Virginia (Civil Action No. 148C53). Freedom Industries, Inc. and West Virginia-American Water Company have been named as Defendants.
The lawsuit states that on January 9, 2014, a hazardous substance known as 4-Methylcyclohexane Methanol leaked onto the Defendants’ premises along Elk River in Kanawha County, West Virginia. According to the Material Safety Data Sheet for this substance, it is harmful if swallowed and can irritate the skin and eyes. According to the complaint, the toxic substance was delivered into the homes of the Defendants’ customers, including the Plaintiff. The Defendants were allegedly aware of the spill shortly after it was reported, but the suit states that it postponed warning the public or closing its intake from the Elk River for several hours.
As stated in the lawsuit, the office of the Governor of West Virginia declared a state of emergency because of this spill and advised residents of Kanawha, Putnam, Clay, Boone, Lincoln, Logan, Roane and Jackson counties not to consume or use water distributed by the West Virginia-American Water Company. The suit alleges that the water contamination has caused widespread fear across the affected counties because of both the health hazards and the Defendants’ clear unpreparedness to respond to the crisis. The suit alleges that the Plaintiff class has endured personal injury, damage to property, loss of income, loss or unreasonable interference with the use of property, or fear, anxiety, annoyance or inconvenience as a result of the toxic chemical infiltration.
The firms are continuing to investigate claims against Freedom Industries, Inc. and West Virginia-American Water Company over the chemical spill in Elk River. As noted in the complaint, the Plaintiff class is numerous; news accounts from the time of the spill estimate that approximately 100,000 residents were affected by the spill.
If you or someone you know is a customer of the West Virginia-American Water Company and has been affected by the chemical spill in Elk River, we urge you to take legal action as soon as possible. For more information, please visit our West Virginia Chemical Spill Class Action Lawsuit page at yourlawyer.com or call 1-800-BIG-SPILL (1-800-244-7745).
Contact:
Parker Waichman LLP
Gary Falkowitz, Managing Attorney
1+(800) BIG-SPILL
1+(800) 244-7745
http://www.yourlawyer.com
Gary Falkowitz, Parker Waichman LLP, http://yourlawyer.com, +1 (800) 529-4636, [email protected]
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