Illness related to water contamination is increasing at an alarming rate nowadays. According to several studies, more than seven million people face illness because of water contamination every year. It may not seem dangerous, but water contamination causes severe damage, including kidney cancer, infertility, etc.
The good news is that you can get compensation after being affected by water contamination. Several acts are there to have your back after such type of accident. So, you can go to a water contamination lawyer and take help regarding compensation.
Causes of Water Contamination
Water can be contaminated in many ways, but not all are equally damaging. Here is the list of the most damaging reasons behind water contamination.
- Chemical run-off
- Improper treatment of sewage and wastewater
- Marine dumping
- Underground storage leakage
- Atmospheric deposition
- Urban development
- Industrial waste
- Hydraulic fracturing
- Oil pollution
These contaminations cause more damage to the human body, resulting in dangerous and unavoidable diseases.
Possible Damages Caused by Water Contamination
Water contamination can result in several diseases and damage. Some are not that dangerous, but you might face some hazardous and life-threatening diseases. I’m sharing the list of the most damaging impacts of water contamination.
- Liver or stomach problems
- Development problems
- Congenital disability
- Female infertility
- Kidney cancer
- Bladder cancer
- Lung cancer
- Liver cancer
- Parkinson’s disease
- Dental problems
- Miscarriage
- Leukemia
- Renal toxicity
Besides these, you might face many more issues because of water contamination. You can see that most of these are long-term and severely damaging.
Who is Liable for Water Contamination?
If you want to get compensation for water contamination disease, you need to find the person or group of people accountable for the contamination. This is different in different cases.
First, you need to find out the type of contamination or the substance that has contaminated the water and caused the disease. Once you identify the contamination, you should seek for its source.
In most cases, you’ll find that any industrial establishment is liable for it. In some cases, you’ll find chemical storage liable for the contamination. The authority might be accused of contamination if the water source is under a private company responsible for distributing water to the people around you.
In fact, your local government might be responsible for this if they control the water source.
To find out the party responsible for the contamination, taking help of a water contamination attorney can help you. An attorney or lawyer can go through a proven process to find the exact person or group responsible for the issue.
A Water Contamination Lawyer can Help You by-
- Checking your case to make sure that your case is eligible to gain compensation. There are some grey areas in some cases. So, getting help from a lawyer can help you clear the grey areas and ensure that your case is eligible for compensation. If not, lawyers can search for ways to prove your case eligible.
- Searching for and finding the party actually responsible for the contamination. In some cases, finding the responsible party is challenging because the contamination should be checked, and the sources are to be found. A lawyer can help you go through the process and mark the liable person.
- Looking for and collecting the evidence to prove the responsible party guilty in court. In most cases, large companies or local governments are responsible for this. So, collecting the evidence might be complex for you. Lawyers can help you with that.
- Handling the paperwork and other things regarding the case. Working with these might be tough for you if you don’t have prior experience. Lawyers can help you with this without wasting any time.
- If you’re going for an out-of-court solution, a lawyer can assist you in the negotiation process. An experienced lawyer has expertise in it and knows the approximate amount of compensation you can receive. So, you’ll get assistance in discussion and negotiation.
How Can Water Contamination Attorneys Help?
Attorneys have a bit more power compared to lawyers. They can directly represent you in court as they have the power.
So, when you appoint an attorney for your water contamination case, you get more than what the lawyers can do. With the things discussed above, an attorney can help you by representing you in court.
Compensations in Water Contamination Case
Typically, water contamination cases offer you financial and personal losses the victim suffers. The most common compensations a water contamination victim gets are-
- Medical Bills- All types of medical bills occur from the beginning of treatment to the end. The medical bill includes- doctor’s fees, cost of medicine, cost of tests, etc.
- Lost Wages- Lost wages mean the amount the victim could earn if not affected by contamination. The amount of lost wages is typically calculated for the number of days or months the person can’t join work because of illness.
- Lost Ability to Earn a Living- If the problem is severely damaging and result in loss of working ability, this compensation is provided. In such a case, the possible amount the person could earn in his lifetime is counted to determine the amount of compensation.
- Lost Quality of Living- If the person is severely affected, he can’t enjoy life like before. For this, compensation is determined and arranged by the court.
- Pain and suffering- Pain and suffering are determined by court in the case of a water contamination lawsuit. This is not something that can be calculated by money. So, the compensation is not fixed here.
These are the basic compensations a victim of a water contamination accident can claim. A few more fields are there, but those are not common.
Acts that Support You
To support the water contamination victims, two main acts are mainly used. These two acts were introduced after 1970 and protected a lot of people throughout the US. These acts are-
The Clean Water Act
The Clean Water Act (CWA) was established in 1972. This is actually the expanded version of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. This act is focused on controlling the amount of discharge in the US water.
The Safe Drinking Water Act
This act was established in 1974 with a focus on protecting the drinking water available in public sources. Public water sources included in this act are- lakes, rivers, springs, groundwater wells, etc.
Violations of these acts result in health issues for the people who take the water directly or indirectly.
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The process to Hire a Water Contamination Lawyer
Hiring an efficient water contamination lawyer or attorney is a must if you want to receive compensation for the damages you’ve faced.
Step 1- Looking for Lawyers
First, you need to check for the options around you. You can take the help of the internet or people around you to find out such lawyers. Not all firms offer this service. So, you need to be careful while making a list.
Step 2- Picking One from the List
Once you have a list, you need to evaluate it to find the best one. Check client reviews, the suggestions of friends and family, and review websites to know more about the listed firms. Then pick the best one from them.
Step 3- Communicating with the Firm
Once you find out the best one, communicate with them about your issue. I suggest picking the best three and discussing your issue with them. Then, pick the one that seems to be more confident about the case.
Following this process, you can pick a lawyer or firm that can assist you with your water contamination case.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How much does a water contamination lawyer cost?
Determining the exact cost of water contamination lawyers is challenging because a lot of things have an impact here. However, in most cases, you won’t find any fixed charge. Instead, they might ask for a percentage of the compensation you receive.
The amount can be anything between 30%-40%. You might find some lawyers charging more or less than the range. But this is the most common range.
Experienced and reputed lawyers typically ask for 35%-40% of the compensation amount.
Is it okay to sue one for such an issue?
Most water contamination diseases are severe and result in long-term damage. It costs you a lot of money for treatment. Besides, your family members lose peace of mind.
As you’re not the person responsible for the issue, you should sue the person responsible for this situation. Doing this might not bring everything back like before, but you’ll get the money spent on the treatment.
If you don’t do so, you will have to bear the treatment expense alone.
How much time can I get to decide to file a lawsuit?
This is different in different states. The most common practice is 2-3 years after the disease is spotted. Once you spot the disease and know it has happened because of water contamination, you have 2-3 years for treatment and looking for the exact reason behind the contamination.
After you become sure about the responsible party, you can decide whether to file a lawsuit or not.
Check the law of your state or contact a water contamination lawyer to know the exact time you must file a lawsuit.
How much time can I get to decide to file a lawsuit?
This is different in different states. The most common practice is 2-3 years after the disease is spotted. Once you spot the disease and know it has happened because of water contamination, you have 2-3 years for treatment and looking for the exact reason behind the contamination.
After you become sure about the responsible party, you can decide whether to file a lawsuit or not.
Check the law of your state or contact a water contamination lawyer to know the exact time you must file a lawsuit.