Exposure to DuPont’s C-8, which is an industrial chemical that has contaminated the water supply around a plant in West Virginia and the Ohio valley, may cause residents to suffer serious and potentially life-threatening injuries, including cancer, birth defects, kidney disease, thyroid disease and other side effects.
LAWSUITS OVER DUPONT C8 EXPOSURE: In February 2017, a $671 million C-8 settlement agreement was announced which resolve most, if not all, of the litigation. DuPont C-8 exposure lawyers are continuing to review potential claims for individuals who may be entitled to financial compensation.
OVERVIEW: DuPont C-8, also known as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), is a toxic cancer-causing agent that stays in the environment indefinitely; never breaking down.
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Studies have linked DuPont C-8 exposure to a potential risk of:
- Birth defects
- Kidney disease
- Thyroid disease
- Ulcerative colitis
- Testicular cancer
- Pregnancy-induced hypertension
- High cholesterol
HISTORY OF DUPONT C-8 PROBLEMS IN OHIO AND WEST VIRGINIA: DuPont’s Washington Works Plant in Parkersburg, West Virginia has allegedly been releasing C-8 into the environment since at least the 1950s, which some say has resulted in tainted water supplies in West Virginia and Ohio.
For decades, the company allegedly knew about the problems at the plant and the risks of C-8 exposure, but continued to dump the chemical into the air and water until about 2004, according to numerous allegations.
Internally, DuPont executives allegedly began to worry that C-8 was toxic in 1954, and according to complaints filed, its own researchers confirmed those fears by at least 1961. However, the releases from the Washington plant continued.
By 1976, human blood in U.S. blood banks began to show traces of organic fluorine, which researchers believed was a by-product of C-8 exposure. Two years later, organic fluorine was found in blood samples from workers at the Washington plant. The company’s medical director issued a plan to review and monitor health conditions of workers at the plant who were potentially exposed to C-8. Still, DuPont continued the releases of C-8.
The medical director said in a 1978 article that the company had a duty to disclose possible C-8 health hazards and that the only “responsible and ethical way to go” was to “lay all the facts on the table.” He said to do otherwise was morally irresponsible.
By 1980, DuPont had confirmed internally that C-8 was toxic, but did not disclose the possible C-8 health hazards to local governments or communities that could be affected by releases from the Washington plant, lawsuits allege.
In 1981, studies suggested that C-8 was linked to birth defects. By 1984, the company was secretly collecting data from drinking water sources near the plant. Lawsuits claim that this is because the company knew by at least 1982 that C-8 was leaving the facility and entering the water supply. The sampling allegedly confirmed the presence of C-8 in water sources in Ohio and West Virginia, including samples from the Little Hocking Water Association in Ohio.
The company held a meeting in 1984 to discuss the DuPont C8 exposure problems, and also noted that technology existed that could prevent the C-8 emissions from the plant. At the meeting, DuPont officials allegedly decided that fixing the problem was not “economically attractive.” Not only did they continue the releases, but they increased the use of C-8 at the plant. The releases continued into the early 2000s.
In 2005, residents brought a class action lawsuit against DuPont. As a result of that lawsuit, an independent panel of epidemiologists was created to look at the side effects of C-8 exposure. In a study released in July 2012, the panel determined that many of the ailments residents complained about were linked to C-8 exposure.
DuPont has confirmed that many of the lawsuits filed against it concern injuries linked to C-8 exposure, and estimates that it could face thousands of lawsuits.
The first DuPont C-8 trial ended in a $1.6 million jury award in October 2015. In July 2016, DuPont was ordered to pay $5.6 million following a second trial. A third trial in January 2017 ended in a $12.5 million verdict against the chemical company as well.
8 Comments
WilliamJune 6, 2023 at 12:54 am
I haveC-8 over 3× the limit and I'm in the class action lawsuitand I'm also in the c-8 medical monitoring program and I e still never have received any compensation from anybody still to this dayim 44 and never had a child which I think c-8 is the cause
RoyMay 22, 2023 at 7:56 am
I am presently living in New Zealand. After watching the movie Dark Waters, I was shocked to know that this also caused Thyroid disorder. My mother now deceased) suffered from 1980 till 2001 My brother & sister in law (living in California as well as I suffered from 1991 have been suffering from Thyroid problems. It has caused us all a lot of problems right through our lives. I was lucky to have [Show More]I am presently living in New Zealand. After watching the movie Dark Waters, I was shocked to know that this also caused Thyroid disorder. My mother now deceased) suffered from 1980 till 2001 My brother & sister in law (living in California as well as I suffered from 1991 have been suffering from Thyroid problems. It has caused us all a lot of problems right through our lives. I was lucky to have met a homeopathic doctor who managed to cure me after suffering for 20 years. But my brother and sister in law are still suffering and still under medication.
DarrylNovember 18, 2022 at 3:04 pm
I worked at Dupont in 2004 thur a temp service devolped thyroid disease have records of everything lawyer closed my case because he couldn't find what temp service I worked for all he had to do was ask it was standard temp service in Parkersburg WV need help getting my money owed to me thanks
andrewJanuary 5, 2019 at 5:15 pm
I am a real estate investor. I just heard about this story from a report done by TYT on youtube. Indefinite means 1,000,000 years to break down. From my point of view, any land / structures along this contamination site is worth less than $0, because anyone buying into this area will get poisoned by the same cancer causing agents that has been poisoning people there for the last few decades. I[Show More]I am a real estate investor. I just heard about this story from a report done by TYT on youtube. Indefinite means 1,000,000 years to break down. From my point of view, any land / structures along this contamination site is worth less than $0, because anyone buying into this area will get poisoned by the same cancer causing agents that has been poisoning people there for the last few decades. I believe the judgement from the jury is extremely low compared to the financial damage the citizens of the area have faced and will face from DuPont's negligence - not even taking to consideration the health ramifications.
nancyNovember 9, 2017 at 12:19 am
I was on the list ,But because the post office change my address didn.t get my mail.
BrendaOctober 27, 2017 at 2:38 pm
Well I am a cancer patient but years back when they didn't want to fool with you on filling out the proper paperwork they told you to go online and fill it out did that and I was told they never received it I am sure I was not the only one.
KateSeptember 2, 2017 at 9:12 pm
I am in Wood county and was told I by one law firm that I will have to find an attorney willing to take the case because cases like mine (thyroid disease) don't make enough money for it to be worth it to them. They are only working with cancer claims.
hildaMay 29, 2015 at 11:49 pm
ok I have tried to find out about the c8 stuff and I just get told I would have to find a lawyer .I am 53 yrs old I lived in mason county wv all my life and I drank the water and I want to know why I can get any answers I was born in 1962 and I went to leon school and point pleasent school and I drank the water and I had thyroid cancer and I had a total hysterectomy it was because of cancer .and t[Show More]ok I have tried to find out about the c8 stuff and I just get told I would have to find a lawyer .I am 53 yrs old I lived in mason county wv all my life and I drank the water and I want to know why I can get any answers I was born in 1962 and I went to leon school and point pleasent school and I drank the water and I had thyroid cancer and I had a total hysterectomy it was because of cancer .and then in 2014 I lost a kidney to cancer and I have stage 3 kidney diease .why can I get help to find out if I was exposed to c8 .