Many working and
retired North Carolina men and women are diagnosed each year with Leukemia. The
disease is a cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow, causing persistent bleeding,
fatigue, bone pain and weight loss. It can occur at any age. There are a number
of types of Leukemia, and some are caused by exposure to chemicals, such as Benzene.
Produced
in large amounts in the United States, Benzene is a colorless liquid with a sweet odor
that evaporates quickly. One of the top 20 chemicals produced in this country each
year, Benzene is used in gasoline and diesel fuel and is combined with other chemicals
to make plastics, nylon and synthetic fibers, rubbers, lubricants, dyes, detergents and
pesticides.
Leukemia is often directly associated with Benzene exposure in the
work place. People who work or have worked in these industries are the most likely
to develop Leukemia. It
can take a relatively short length of exposure to Benzene or other chemicals to cause Leukemia and more than 30,000
people are diagnosed each year with some form of Leukemia.
The primary sources of exposure are (1) inhalation, (2)
dermal exposure, and (3) ingestion of water and other foods contaminated with Benzene.
Although the respiratory route is commonly the primary source of human exposure, skin
absorption is more prominent in the working population. Many workers never know they have been exposed until
years later.
If you, a family member, or someone you know has any form of leukemia, they may be entitled
to workers’ compensation
benefits and additional compensation from the chemical companies which manufactured the
chemicals they were exposed to on the job.
North Carolina law permits someone injured
under these circumstances to recover for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering,
or wrongful death compensation in the event the person has died. North
Carolina has statutes of limitation which require the person injured or their family
to bring a claim within three years from the date they were first diagnosed with the
disease if the person is still living, or two years from the date of death in the event
the person died.
The law in North Carolina provides these remedies because
employers and manufacturers should not be allowed to escape responsibility when they
cause injury or death. The
purpose of these laws in North Carolina is to make sure that employers and the manufacturers
of dangerous products are held responsible, just like everyone else, when they do something
that causes disease or death.
For free answers to your questions about benzene exposure and leukemia, please
call us toll-free or complete this convenient online contact form. |
