C8 Water Contamination Lawsuit: Case Details and Side Effects

The chemical company, DuPont, manufactures products in its Washington Works plant in Parkersburg, West Virginia. For years, DuPont allowed large amounts of C8 from its plant to contaminate the air, groundwater and landfills in the area resulting in contamination of drinking water in six water districts in Ohio and West Virginia.

C8 (perfluorooctanoic acid or PFOA) is a chemical used to reduce the surface tension of water. and is used in the manufacturing of Teflon, non-stick cookware, stain-resistant carpet, cosmetics, dental floss, and other consumer products.

Residents of Ohio and West Virginia suffered from life threatening illnesses, including certain cancers, and even death after consuming the C8 contaminated water.

C8 Water Contamination

By 2003, DuPont allowed almost 2.5 million pounds of C8 from its plant into the Ohio River Valley harming residents of six water districts.

The six water districts identified by the C8 Science Panel are:

Little Hocking, Ohio
City of Belpre, Ohio
Tuppers Plains, Ohio
Village of Pomeroy, Ohio
Lubeck Public Service District, West Virginia
Mason County Public Service District, West Virginia

Plaintiff's Victories

The first three C8 lawsuit bellwether trials resulted in jurors finding against DuPont and in favor of the plaintiffs:

In October of 2015, a jury awarded $1.6 million including emotional distress damages to an Ohio woman who developed kidney cancer from exposure to the C8.
In July 2016, an Ohio man suffering from testicular cancer was awarded $5.1 million and an additional $500,000 in punitive damages.
In December 2016, jurors awarded $1 million to an Ohio man diagnosed with testicular cancer after being exposed to C8-contaminated water.

Attorney Richard W. Schulte of Wright & Schulte served on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee for the C8 litigation working with other plaintiff attorneys to prosecute cases on behalf of thousands of injured individuals and their families. Wright & Schulte continues to represent numerous individuals and families injured by contaminated C8 water.

Multi-District Litigation Settlement

On February 13, 2017, DuPont Co. and Chemours Co. reached a settlement with multidistrict litigation plaintiffs injured by the contaminated C8 water. The settlement was reached during the fourth C8 trial and after three plaintiff victories in the earlier trials.

Both DuPont and Chemours, the company that now owns the plant, each agreed to pay $335.35 million to settle the 3,500 C8 lawsuits that were filed in the U.S. District Court, District of Southern Ohio.

In addition to the C8 lawsuit settlement and DuPont’s commitment to help clean and monitor the water, a statement announced Chemours has agreed to pay the first of $25 million of any potential future PFOA costs. This is in addition to the settlement and will be paid annually over the next five years. The statement further went on to say DuPont will also cover additional costs up to $25 million.

Side Effects of C8 Exposure

Under the terms of a 2001 class action lawsuit settled in 2005, an independent public health group was selected to investigate the potential link between the C8 contaminated water and the diseases in the community. In 2012, the C8 Science Panel of epidemiologists found a probable link between C8 and kidney cancer, testicular cancer, and several other diseases. Wright & Schulte, LLC is currently investigating cases for individuals and family members of loved ones
suffering from:

Contact an Experienced C8 Attorney

The attorneys of Wright & Schulte work every day to preserve the rights of personal injury victims, one case and one client at a time. If you or a loved one resides or resided in one of the six water districts and are suffering from kidney or testicular cancer and you’re looking for a personal injury law firm that will guarantee the caring, personalized, and loyal representation you deserve, please do not hesitate to contact Wright & Schulte today.

For a free, no obligation legal evaluation of your case, fill out the online form, or give Wright & Schulte a call, toll-free, at 1-800- 399-0795

Complaints

Wright and Schulte, LLC filed personal injury lawsuits in December 2018 on behalf of two individuals against E.I. Du Pont De Nemours and Company (Du Pont). The lawsuits were filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia under case numbers 3:18-cv-01512 and 3:18-cv-01513. The Complaints for damages can be viewed below