Chemical Injuries & Chemical Exposure Injuries
Chemical injuries can be one of the most painful injuries one can encounter on the job – or anywhere.
Even after the initial pain of the chemical exposure, the damage can be long-lasting and life-changing. Chemical injuries can result in life-changing conditions such as blindness or a loss of extremities, and can have a debilitating effect on your ability to live your life and earn an income.
Whether you’re a maritime worker exposed to dangerous chemicals due to employer negligence, or a civilian bystander exposed to chemicals through an equipment malfunction or worker oversight, chemical injuries are a danger present to anyone on the water.
Types of Chemical Injuries
Chemical injuries can take many forms, each one more dangerous than the last. Among the more common varieties include:
- Chemical exposure injuries, or injuries where the chemical is strong enough to cause harm simply through exposure, even if no physical contact is made. Examples include:
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- Burns or rashes on the skin
- Throat and lung injuries (from inhalation)
- Nerve and neurological injuries (brain damage)
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Loss of consciousness
- Death
- Developing of cancer
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- Chemical eye injuries, where the chemicals come into contact with the victim’s eyes due to lack of proper safety gear, typically resulting in partial or permanent blindness
- Chemical burn injuries, where chemicals come into contact with your skin and can cause burns, blistering, or other skin damage
- Chemical inhalation injuries, where chemicals cause lung or other respiratory damage after being inhaled directly, even lung cancer in extreme cases
Many common chemical injuries fit into one of these categories, and each of them can have a damaging effect on your life, health, and livelihood.
Causes of Chemical Injuries in Maritime Work
Due to the amount of chemicals typically present on any vessel, whether needed for cleaning, engine maintenance, or simply the daily function of the vessel, the causes of chemical injuries & chemical burns can be wide-ranging, including:
- Lack of personal protective equipment such as eye shields
- Lack of training for proper handling of sensitive materials
- Damage to certain vessel components (engine parts, piping, etc) that result in a dangerous gas or fluid leak
- Damage to onboard cargo causing a leak of hazardous material
- Lack of proper maintenance to machinery and equipment requiring the use of chemicals to function, leading to leaks and exposure
Many of these causes and accidents fall on the owner of the vessel to prevent through proper maintenance, training, and providing safety equipment as needed.
Maritime Chemical Injury Lawyer
If you’ve suffered a chemical-based injury while on the water, be it a burn, an eye injury, or anything else, the maritime injury attorneys of O’Bryan Law can help you fight for justice.
Contact us today to begin a review of the details of your case, and if your injury may have been caused by the negligent behavior of a ship owner, we can work to earn you the compensation and justice you deserve.
