West Virginia C8 Toxic Chemical Lawyer

The toxic chemical C8 contaminated drinking water in several water districts in West Virginia. If you lived in West Virginia and drank the water for at least one year prior to December 3, 2004, you may have been exposed.

You may be eligible for compensation if you developed high cholesterol, kidney cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid disease, inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis), or preeclampsia (high blood pressure during pregnancy).

What happened?

Since the 1950s, DuPont has manufactured Teflon, non-stick cooking surfaces, water-resistant clothing, oil-repellent paper, and other consumer products at the Washington Works facility in Parkersburg, West Virginia. During the manufacturing process, a chemical agent known as C8 (perfluorooctanoate acid or PFOA) was emitted into the air and groundwater in West Virginia. Large amounts of C8 were also dumped in landfills along the Ohio River. This toxic chemical contaminated the groundwater in six water districts in West Virginia and the Mid-Ohio Valley.

West Virginia C8 Water Contamination

You may have been exposed to C8 if you drank water in any of the following water districts:

• Lubeck Public Service District, West Virginia
• Mason County Public Service District, West Virginia

You may be at risk of health problems if you drank the water for at least one year prior to December 3, 2004. As part of a settlement agreement with the residents of these communities, DuPont has installed a state-of-the art water treatment facility, and C8 is nearly undetectable in the drinking water.

West Virginia C8 Lawsuits

More than 70,000 residents of West Virginia and Ohio filed a class action lawsuit against DuPont. Although the class action settled in 2005, personal injury lawsuits are currently being filed by people who developed serious diseases.

As a condition of the settlement, DuPont agreed to create a three-member C8 Science Panel to investigate whether C8 exposure increased the risk of any diseases. If the panel finds a “probable link” between C8 and a disease, DuPont must pay up to $235 million to create a health monitoring system to check people for the diseases.

In October 2012, the first personal injury lawsuits were filed by three people in West Virginia. These West Virginia C8 lawsuits include one wrongful death claim, and two injury claims. It is likely that the litigation will continue to grow as more people seek justice for their injuries.

C8 Side Effects

The C8 Science Panel has associated exposure to C8 with the following severe, life-threatening diseases:

• High cholesterol
• Inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis)
• Kidney cancer
• Testicular cancer
• Thyroid disease
• High blood pressure during pregnancy (preeclampsia)