Plaintiffs In C8 Lawsuits Contend They Developed Ulcerative Colitis, Thyroid Disease, High Cholesterol, And Other Disorders After DuPont’s Washington Works Plant Emitted C8 Into The Drinking Water.

As DuPont prepares for a merger with Dow Chemical, plaintiffs involved in C8 lawsuits against DuPont are asking who is liable for paying $1 billion in damages for their alleged injuries from exposure to DuPont’s C8 chemical. More than 3,400 C8 water contamination lawsuits have been filed on behalf of plaintiffs who allege developing kidney cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid disease, and other health disorders due to drinking water contaminated by the dangerous C8 chemical released from DuPont’s Washington Works Plant near Parkersburg, West Virginia.

Plaintiffs filed a request for documents regarding DuPont’s financial obligations after its merger with Dow and its separation from Chemours. U.S. District Judge Edmund Sargus Jr., who is presiding over the federal C8 lawsuit litigation, asked for similar information from DuPont in March about its estimated net worth, assets, liabilities and revenues. According to a report in Delawareonline.com, a Chemours spokesperson said the C8 lawsuits are DuPont’s liabilities. DuPont, however, filed a response on April18 saying the company has not determined how the liabilities will be handled.(In Re: E.I. DuPont De Nemours and Company C-8 Personal Injury Litigation, MDL No. 2433)
[delawareonline.com/story/news/2016/04/28/c8-plaintiffs-demand-dupont-merger-documents/83658150/, Delarwareonline.com]

“We are awaiting Judge Sargus’ response to this issue on which company is responsible for damages to plaintiffs who have suffered serious injuries from 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 litigation. The Firm has filed numerous C8 lawsuits on behalf of Ohio and West Virginia residents who allege they were diagnosed with kidney cancer, testicular cancer, high cholesterol and other illnesses because of their exposure to C8-contaminated water.

Perfluorooctanoic acid, or C8 for short, is a chemical used in Teflon products, water resistant clothing and other non-stick coatings. DuPont’s Washington Works plant had been discharging C8 into the drinking water supply for decades and failed to inform the public about the dangers associated with the chemical, according to a class-action lawsuit filed in 2001 on behalf of nearly 70,000 Ohio and West Virginia residents. (Leach v. E.I. Du Pont De Nemours & Co., No. 01-C-608 (W. Va. Cir. Ct.))

The C8 class-action lawsuit was settled in 2005, and settlement terms called for a C8 Science Panel to determine whether there was a link between C8 and diseases in the community. In October 2012, the panel announced that a probable link was discovered 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 and developed one of these health disorders during the time period specified by the DuPont C8 class action lawsuit settlement were eligible to file a lawsuit against DuPont. The lawsuits were consolidated in the Southern Ohio federal court.
[c8sciencepanel.org/prob_link.html; C8 Science Panel)

Prior to the plaintiffs’ request for documents on DuPont’s merger, the court was preparing for more C8 bellwether trials. In April, Judge Sargus presented a schedule for 40 C8 cancer claims to go to trial in stages beginning in May 2017. The first C8 lawsuit resulted in a $1.6 million jury award to an Ohio woman who said she developed kidney cancer after drinking C8-tainted water. (Case No. 2:13-cv-0170) A second C8 trial was scheduled in March but DuPont 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 Filing A DuPont C8 Lawsuit:

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