Benzene

Wheeling, West Virginia, Benzene Litigation Attorneys

Benzene is known to cause blood cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma. If you were exposed to benzene and have been diagnosed with a blood cancer such as leukemia, lymphoma or multiple myeloma, our lawyers offer a free initial consultation to evaluate your case and explain your legal options.

Benzene is a colorless liquid that has a sweet smell and evaporates quickly. It occurs naturally in crude oil and gasoline. Benzene is also widely used in the manufacture of chemicals to make plastics, resins, nylon, synthetic fibers, rubbers, lubricants, dyes, detergents, drugs and pesticides.

The American Petroleum Institute made a determination in 1948 that there was no safe level of exposure to benzene. It is closely linked to blood cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma.

Chemical workers can be exposed to benzene when it is used as the building block to create other chemicals. Gasoline haulers are exposed to benzene since the toxic chemical is not removed from crude oil during the refining process. The latency period (the time it takes to develop a blood cancer after exposure to benzene) can be as short as nine months and as long as 40 years.

There are certain signatures of benzene that that can be used to prove your exposure case in court. One example is when someone under the age of 50 develops a disease called myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS, also known as preleukemia), which develops into acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). If the disease was caused by benzene exposure, there may be chromosome changes that are consistent with chemotherapeutic leukemia.

Attorney R. Dean Hartley has a national reputation for handling hazardous chemical and benzene litigation.

Learn More About Benzene Litigation

Benzene Frequently Asked Questions
Toxic Substances Information Center

Free attorney consultation: If you or a family member has been diagnosed with a deadly disease such as leukemia, lymphoma or multiple myeloma following exposure to benzene, please contact our lawyers as soon as possible. We will investigate your case at no cost, and you will not have to pay any litigation fees unless we obtain a recovery for you.