C8 Water Contamination Lawsuits Allege C8 Released From DuPont’s Washington Works Plant Into Ohio River Caused Testicular Cancer, Kidney Cancer, And Other Health Issues
The federal judge presiding over the C8 water contamination lawsuits has developed a pretrial schedule for the initial 40 cancer trials which are set to begin in May 2017 and continue on into 2018. U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus Jr. directed attorneys for plaintiffs and defendants to select the C8 cancer lawsuits by May 2. Testicular cancer and kidney cancer are among the life-threatening illnesses plaintiffs allege they developed after consuming the toxic C8 chemical which was released into the drinking water supply from DuPont’s Washington Works Plant near Parkersburg, West Virginia.
In a Case Management Order for the C8 water contamination lawsuits, issued on April 18, Judge Sargus directed the parties to prepare 40 cases in three groups of 12 cases, and one group of four cases. The cases will be referred to as Group 1, Group 2, Group 3, and Group 4. According to the trial schedule:
• The first four trial cases in Group 1 will start on May 1, 2017, and the remaining cases will be tried through July and into August 2017.
• The first four trial cases in Group 2 will start about September 5, 2017, and the remaining cases will be tried up into November 2017, and break for the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
• The first four cases in Group 3 will begin about January 8, 2018 and the remaining cases will be tried through April 2018.
• The final four trial cases in Group 4 will start about May 7, 2018.
“Our Firm commends Judge Sargus for creating an extensive trial schedule for the 40 cancer cases. This will allow juries to hear how plaintiffs have suffered due to consuming C8-contaminated water,” says Richard Schulte, a founding partner of Wright & Schulte LLC and a member of the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee for the C8 lawsuit litigation. The Firm is also representing individual plaintiffs in the C8 litigation where more than 3,400 C8 lawsuit claims are pending in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio.
Perfluorooctanoic acid, more commonly known as C8, is used to make Teflon and other non-stick coatings. A class-action lawsuit was filed in 2001 on behalf of nearly 70,000 West Virginia and Ohio residents that alleged DuPont failed to inform the public that it was releasing C8 from its Washington Works plant and into the Ohio River and local water supply. (Leach v. E.I. Du Pont De Nemours & Co., No. 01-C-608 (W. Va. Cir. Ct.))
The 2005 settlement of the class-action complaint called for establishing a C8 Science Panel that would determine whether there was a link between C8 and diseases community members were developing. In October 2012, the science panel announced a probable link between C8 and six health disorders:
• High cholesterol
• Thyroid disease
• Testicular cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Ulcerative colitis
• Pregnancy induced hypertension (pre-eclampsia)
Residents, former residents, their survivors, or anyone else who consumed water in one of six water districts in Ohio and West Virginia who developed one of these health disorders during the time period specified by the DuPont C8 class action lawsuit settlement is eligible to file a lawsuit against DuPont.
[c8sciencepanel.org/prob_link.html]
The first federal C8 trial was held in October and involved a Guysville, Ohio woman who said she developed kidney cancer after consuming C8-contaminated water. The jury found DuPont negligent of releasing the C8 chemical from its Washington Works plant and awarded the woman $1.6 million. DuPont asked for a retrial but Judge Sargus denied the company’s request. A second C8 jury trial was scheduled in March but the company settled the case before trial. (In Re: E.I. DuPont De Nemours and Company C-8 Personal Injury Litigation, MDL No. 2433)
About Wright & Schulte LLC And DuPont C8 Water Contamination Lawsuits:
Wright & Schulte LLC, an experienced personal injury firm, is dedicated to the belief that America’s legal system should work for the people. Every day, the attorneys of Wright Schulte LLC stand up for the rights of people who have been injured or wronged, and fight tirelessly to ensure that even the world’s most powerful corporations take responsibility for their actions. If you’re looking for a law firm that will guarantee the aggressive and personal representation you deserve, please do not hesitate to contact Wright & Schulte LLC today. Free DuPont C8 lawsuit case evaluations are available through yourlegalhelp.com, or call 1-888-399-0795
