What should we do if we think husband got Parkinsons due to chemicals at his job?

Question

My husband worked in the printing and printing repair business for 30 years.

They used carbon techticloride even when the company was warned about the damage it was causing to the liver and kidneys. 

Well, he has Parkinsons which was one of the health problems. What should we do?

Christian Joseph Menard · Answer

First thing you will need to do is ascertain the precise chemicals your husband was exposed to over those 30 years. You will then need to ascertain, from medical experts, if any of those chemicals caused or contributed to the Parkinson's. If so, then you need to ascertain the identity of the manufacturer(s) of those chemicals. This can be done, but it involves a very lengthy and expense process.

Ronald A. Steinberg · Answer

Get a doctor to prove it.

Michael Kelly · Answer

In a negligence action, a plaintiff must prove duty, breach, causation, and damages.  The causation element might be a problem here unless there is strong evidence that links the technicolor to your husbands condition. If there is evidence of this, the damages are significant and you may be entitled to a large verdict or settlement in your favor.

Sandeep Agarwal · Answer

Talk to a doctor to see if there is a direct correlation between the  chemicals at his job and the disease.  If there is, and it can be  proven, contact an attorney.  Also, you should consult with a workers'  compensation attorney.

James Eugene Hasser · Answer

There is a Parkinson's like disease that folks can get from certain chemicals that electricians used to use all the time, I think as a solvent. The disease they got was like Parkinson's, but ever so slightly different. It's difficult to detect and diagnose, even for the best of physicians, but it can be done by a neurologist familiar with the chemical and disease. I don't know if that same chemical was used in the printing business, but it might be worth asking your husband. If his disease is from the chemical, your husband could have a comp claim and what we call a third party claim against the manufacturer of the chemical.

John Brennan · Answer

You should seek counsel.  If the Parkinson's can be shown to be worked related you have claims.

Michael Yurasov-Lichtenberg · Answer

No attorney worth his salt will give a definite answer without looking into the details of the case.

Andrew Velonis · Answer

First, you will have to get a medical opinion.  If  you can get a doctor to confirm your suspicion, your husband may be able to file a comp claim.  There could possibly be causes of action against the manufacturers of the chemicals or the manufacturers of the machines that handled them or perhaps the owners of the buildings where the exposure occurred, but for any of those claims or causes of action, there are particular time restraints depending on the last date of exposure, the time over which he developed the Parkinsons, the date of diagnosis and the time at which he reasonably should have realzed that he had a problem and that the chemical exposure was the likely cause.

James Kelaher · Answer

Try to consult with one of the leading Parkinson's neurologists in the area, if not the country, and see what he says. If he's willing to say it's related, then file a worker's compensation claim.

Paul Whitfield · Answer

Quit guessing at matters. Get you to a specialist and see if the cause can be determined. Then if you think you have a claim get yourself the best worker comp lawyer you can find.

Maurice Abarr · Answer

You need to (1) hire a skilled workers' compensation lawyer and (2) get medical evidence establishing causal link between exposure at employment and Parkinson's.

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What should we do if we think husband got Parkinsons due to chemicals at his job?

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