A.Schulman, based out of Fairlawn, Ohio, is a large supplier of plastic compounds and resins, used as raw materials in a variety of markets, and for many plastic applications. The company first established itself in 1955 when it opened the Bellevue, Ohio plant, where it mixed and processed PVC, ABS resins and other plastic solutions.
PVC (polyvinyl chloride) is a common, lightweight plastic used primarily in construction, made softer and more flexible by the addition of plasticizers. Vinyl chloride (VC), which is produced for polymerization into polyvinyl chloride, is a known cancer-causing agent.
Medical studies indicate that some cancer patients have developed liver cancer and angiosarcoma after exposure to vinyl chloride, often from specific occupational settings. The U.S. National Toxicology Program (NTP) classifies vinyl chloride as a “known human carcinogen.”
A. Schulman Workers at chemical sites, PVC production facilities, and other plastic plants where vinyl chloride is produced may be heavily exposed through inhalation, and risk developing deadly diseases and cancer like angiosarcoma.
Joe Lyon is a highly-rated Cincinnati Personal Injury Lawyer who has represented individuals nationwide in toxic tort claims.
If you have developed angiosarcoma or another cancer due to vinyl chloride exposure at an A. Schulman plant, and have questions about your legal rights, please contact The Lyon Firm.
A. Schulman Workers Vinyl Chloride Exposure
The biggest dangers of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) production and VC exposure are present during the plant production process. Chronic exposure to vinyl chloride and other chemicals used in plastic plants may result in liver damage and cancer like angiosarcoma.
Cancer cases may take up to 15 years to develop after the initial exposure to vinyl chloride. The median latency period for cases of angiosarcoma of the liver is 22 years after heavy VC exposure.
If exposed to vinyl chloride as a result of breathing the chemical’s vapors, the body’s central nervous system may be depressed. Short-term exposures may result in lightheadedness and nausea. Acute vinyl chloride exposure may cause death or illness in Schulman workers.
