Your Houston-Based Environmental Injury Lawyers

Our Houston Environmental Poisoning Lawyer Can Help Win Compensation for Environmental Injuries

An environmental injury involves any harm someone suffers through exposure to toxic substances or pollution. These injuries often develop slowly over time, such as through daily exposure to lead paint or asbestos in a home or office. But industrial accidents or spills of dangerous materials can also lead to sudden toxic poisonings after, for example, a plant explosion or derailment of a train carrying petrochemicals or other carcinogenic substances.

If you or a loved one was injured or someone has died from environmental injuries, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses through an individual or class-action lawsuit. However, environmental laws are complicated, and large companies and their insurers have a team of high-powered lawyers on their side working to fight your case, so this is not something you should attempt to fight on your own.

By retaining a seasoned Houston environmental injury lawyer from Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law who is familiar with these types of cases, you are taking the first step in receiving the necessary financial help you need to recover from the harm you suffered. Getting proper representation can make certain that those who are at fault are held accountable. Protect yourself by contacting us immediately to arrange a free evaluation of your case and determine the best way to move forward.

Call us today at (713) 973-8888 or toll-free at 1 (800) 444-5000 to get started and let us handle the legal details while you concentrate on your recovery.

Why Choose Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law as Your Houston Environmental Injury Lawyer?

Terry Bryant has been serving the people of Houston as both a judge and an environmental injury attorney for over three decades. He is committed to helping people in his community recover from the life-altering injuries and illnesses caused by environmental contamination and accidents.

All too often, large corporations get away with environmental harm because Texas judges are so business-friendly. And this results in Texans getting hurt, with nowhere to turn. Terry Bryant cannot stand aside while friends and neighbors are suffering. He stands up against the giant corporations to protect the little guy.

Despite the seemingly overwhelming odds, he has an excellent record of succeeding where others fail. Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law has helped clients collect tens of millions of dollars in damages from settlements and jury awards. This money was desperately needed to recover from some of the most traumatic injuries and diseases imaginable.

But money is not the only way that Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law judges success. We consider it a success whenever a client fully recovers from their injuries or illness. We consider it a success when they smile after a day with no pain of any kind. That does not mean we stop fighting to get them every dollar they deserve. It just means that one battle is done, and the next one is less traumatizing to our client.

If you are looking for someone who is willing to go the extra mile for every client and believes that you deserve the best representation, there is no Houston environmental injury lawyer you can trust more than Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law.

Damages You May Recover in an Environmental Poisoning Lawsuit

Our Environmental Poisoning Lawyers Will Fight for Both Economic and Non-economic Damages

If you have been damaged by pollutants or live in an environmentally damaged zone, such as a waste pit or creosote contamination zone, and have developed cancer or any other disease, you may have a case for a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit. In a successful lawsuit, our environmental injury attorneys can help recover compensation for both your economic and non-economic damages.

Economic damages are to reimburse you for monetary expenses, such as:

• Cost of medical, hospital, and nursing care resulting from injuries
• Loss of wages and earning capacity from being too sick to work
• Property damaged by environmental poisons.

Non-economic damages are compensation for damages that do not have a set dollar value but can have a significant negative impact on your life, such as:

• Pain and suffering
• Mental and emotional distress caused by the injuries
• Loss of consortium and enjoyment of life.

Many Texas companies knowingly violate environmental laws and place the health of the environment and people at risk. In some cases, punitive damages, meant to punish and make an example of a defendant’s reckless actions, may be awarded as well.

When you have been harmed by violations of environmental laws, you deserve compensation for your economic and non-economic damages. The environmental injury lawyers at Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law will fight to get you that money. Call us today at (713) 973-8888.

Environmental Injury Attorneys Determine Who Is Liable for Environmental Poisoning

To win your case, our environmental poisoning attorneys will look to find the responsible parties (the defendants in the case) and prove that their negligence created the environmental damage that led to your illness or injuries. This means legally showing the following:

• Duty – The defendant had a duty of care to act responsibly and not cause harm.
• Breach – The defendant breached this duty by actions or failure to act.
• Cause – This breach caused damage to the environment which resulted in your injuries.
• Damages – You suffered damages as a result.

Some injuries appear soon after exposure, but some may take years to manifest. Whatever the cause, our environmental poisoning lawyers are familiar with the types of diseases and harm caused by environmental pollution. We know how to trace your injuries to their source and find the responsible parties.

What Are Major Environmental Poisoning Problems in Texas?

There is a wide range of causes of environmental injuries. Some major problems we have seen in Texas include the following:

• Lead Poisoning – Lead exposure from industry occurs mostly in lead-related occupations with various sources like leaded gasoline and lead-based painting. Lead was once commonly used in home plumbing systems and many household products, as well. Exposure to levels of lead above the federally defined Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) has been proven to lower victims’ IQ and cause learning disabilities. When children are the victims, lead poisoning seriously hampers their physical and mental development, and children under age 12 are the most common victims of lead poisoning. The Environmental Public Health division of Harris County Public Health (HCPH) has committed to eliminating lead-based paint hazards in Harris County residences.
• Mesothelioma – Mesothelioma, specifically malignant mesothelioma, is a rare type of cancer caused by asbestos. Asbestos insulation can be found in older homes built before it was banned in the U.S. in the late 1970s. It is also found in many industrial products. As little as three months of exposure to asbestos can increase a person’s risk of mesothelioma, but it can take decades for symptoms of mesothelioma to present themselves. The time from exposure to the first symptoms of the disease is rarely less than 15 years and can be as long as 30 years. Those who work with asbestos without protection run the greatest risk of mesothelioma, but their loved ones are also at increased risk through their exposure to asbestos fibers carried home on the worker’s clothing or in their hair.
• Oil Spills – Over a thousand different hydrocarbons are found in crude oil, including the known carcinogens benzene and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Oil spills are common on the Gulf Coast and cleanup workers run the greatest peril of long-term health effects. Oil-spill injuries can present as respiratory ailments, elevated blood pressure, and chemical burns from the substances that are used to clean up the spill.
• Toxic Mold and mildew – These are fungi that develop in damp places. Mold develops toxins and mycotoxins and creates spores that are released into the air where they can be inhaled, causing lung inflammation or other health problems. Prolonged exposure to toxic mold can cause a variety of preventable illnesses. When property owners choose not to address toxic mold it may cause many health problems for the buildings’ occupants.
• Benzene – Benzene is a colorless gas commonly used in many chemical solvents, detergents, and other products. Benzene can be deadly to those exposed to it for extended periods of time or at elevated levels. Benzene is linked to several types of leukemia and other serious illnesses, including cancer.
• Beryllium – Beryllium is a rare metal that is mined and refined for industrial use. Exposure usually occurs when dust or fumes that contain the substance are naturally released during their manufacturing processes.
• Silica – Silica dust exposure is a serious threat to nearly 2,000,000 workers in the United States. Workers risk developing silicosis from inhaling silica particles in the dust. Like similar toxic exposure-related diseases such as mesothelioma and asbestosis, silicosis often takes many years to develop into a fatal respiratory illness.
• Pesticides – Used in agricultural and gardening settings, offices, and homes, pesticides must be handled and used carefully to avoid pesticide poisoning. Pesticide poisoning can strike the victim’s nervous system, internal organs, and skin. Many cancers are associated with pesticide poisoning as well as other pernicious illnesses. Often, when an injured plaintiff files a product liability claim or lawsuit, it is against a manufacturer because its instructions or cautions did not adequately warn users of the danger. This is the focus of much of the current Monsanto/Roundup Weed Killer litigation.
• Mercury is an element that is highly toxic to humans and the environment. It is released into the environment through industrial activities like chlorine production and gold mining. Once it enters the environment, it is highly mobile and can transform between these chemical forms, allowing it to cycle through the air and water to living organisms and back again. Mercury is highly volatile if burned, such as in a coal-fired power plant, where nearly 100% will be released into the atmosphere if air pollution controls are not used.
• Superfund sites – These are land or water areas that are so contaminated by toxic chemicals that they require long-term attention. This contamination often occurs in areas where there were oil refineries, agriculture chemical production operations, and other industrial facilities which left chemicals like chromium, arsenic, benzene, and dioxin in the environment. In 2019, in Texas, there were 53 priority sites managed by the EPA, with 21 found in Harris County.
• Aboveground Chemical Storage Tank Fires
  The Texas Legislature passed legislation in June 2021 to create new safety rules for aboveground storage tanks that are part of a petrochemical plant, petroleum refinery, or bulk storage terminal, after a series of high-profile chemical fires. After a catastrophic fire that occurred at the Intercontinental Terminals Company (ITC) in March 2019, caused by the failure of equipment and a leak at ITC’s chemical tank farm, area residents had to shelter in place because of the hazardous air emissions. Millions of gallons of hazardous waste spilled on the ground and leaked into the water, and smoke hung over the Houston skyline.
  Texas has had numerous rules for below-ground chemical storage tanks, including construction standards and plans to prevent spills, but above-ground storage tanks were previously exempt and did great damage.

If you need an environmental accident lawyer familiar with the factors that affect environmental poisoning in Texas, contact Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law at (713) 973-8888 today.

FAQs

At Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law, we believe that educated clients are the best clients. If you have any questions about your case, our environmental injury lawyers are happy to answer them.

Can I sue my employer if I get harmed while working with hazardous materials on the job?

Your employer has a duty to protect you while you are performing work for them. A considerable number of environmental lawsuits are filed by employees who were harmed while on the job. However, many Texas employers have workers’ compensation insurance – which may prohibit some workers from suing them, and limit their recovery to workers’ compensation benefits.

If there is a class-action lawsuit, do I have to join that lawsuit to get compensation?

That depends on the circumstances of the harm you suffered. Your environmental injury attorney will determine whether you belong in the class or whether you are eligible to file an independent lawsuit.

Where can I find good doctors to treat conditions caused by environmental poisoning?

The environmental accident lawyers at Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law are familiar with the top doctors in the Houston area. We will help you contact doctors who can ease your suffering.

Should I accept a settlement offer from a corporation or their insurance company?

Unless your attorney helped to negotiate that settlement, it is usually best to refuse any offer you receive. Typically, these companies will make a lowball offer to end your claim before you can sue and get significant sums of money.

Does that mean I have to sue to get fair compensation from a corporation or insurance company?

Probably not. An experienced environmental attorney can usually negotiate a settlement that is fair to both you and the company paying you compensation.

What do I do if I discover that I was poisoned years or even decades after I was in contact with environmental contamination?

You should consult with an environmental attorney at Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law immediately. While the time limit to act may have passed, there are many situations where you can file a lawsuit if you act quickly after discovering the harm.

How long will an environmental lawsuit take to complete?

Unfortunately, it might take years or even decades before the lawsuit concludes and you receive compensation. At least one environmental lawsuit in Texas has been active for more than a decade.

What happens if I die while waiting for a resolution to my lawsuit?

If this unfortunate situation occurs, Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law will continue your case, adding a wrongful death claim to the lawsuit, to get compensation for your heirs. Money will not remove their sorrow at your loss, but it may help them recover financially.

When clients ask questions, it is because they are concerned about the outcome of their case and want to feel assured. We do everything in our power to help you feel confident and knowledgeable during your environmental poisoning case.

When to Hire an Environmental Attorney in Houston

Preferably, you should speak to an environmental lawyer the moment you suspect you have been harmed by a violation of environmental regulations. The clock to take action on any claims starts when you’ve been harmed, when you identify that harm, or when you should have reasonably identified that harm. Thus, if you have a strong suspicion that your illness was caused by environmental contamination, a skilled corporate lawyer can argue that you should have acted upon that suspicion.

If you bring your suspicions to an environmental injury lawyer, they will connect you with a doctor who can evaluate your condition. Your lawyer will also research your history to see if it is probable that your condition was caused by any known environmental regulation violations. Since time is of the essence, the attorney will act quickly to determine whether you have a viable case.

What if you do not know whether you can connect your injury or illness with a specific incident? If you are diagnosed with any condition that is commonly caused by environmental poisoning, you should consult with an environmental injury lawyer immediately. That should give your attorney more than enough time to act on your case, assuming it has merit.

How to Sue for Environmental Poisoning

GET THE HELP YOU DESERVE TO PURSUE AN ENVIRONMENTAL INJURY LAWSUIT

When innocent people are harmed and suffer damages from waste contamination in their environment due to the negligent behavior of a corporation, they may be entitled to compensation for their losses through a lawsuit.

No matter your situation, by retaining a seasoned Houston environmental injury attorney from Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law who is familiar with these types of cases, you as a victim are taking the first step toward receiving the necessary financial help you need to recover from the harm you suffered and ensure that those who are at fault are held accountable. We know environmental law and can evaluate cases and determine whether your injuries or damages warrant a lawsuit.

There are no fees to you unless and until you win your case, so call Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law today at (713) 973-8888 for your free case evaluation.