Current and Former workers at Akron, Ohio’s Firestone-Bridgestone Tire and Rubber plants may have been exposed to several toxic chemicals at the workplace, including Vinyl Chloride (VC), a chemical known to cause cancer in numerous occupational settings.
Vinyl Chloride exposure has been linked to the development of certain cancers, including angiosarcoma of the liver, a deadly cancer often caused by breathing fumes of vinyl chloride for several years at workplaces like tire and rubber plants.
Several health agencies, including the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Environmental Protection Agency, have determined that vinyl chloride is a known carcinogen. Firestone-Bridgestone workers at Ohio’s rubber and tire plants were likely exposed to VC and other dangerous toxins in the past, and as a result may develop cancers like angiosarcoma in the future.
Joe Lyon is a highly-rated Ohio Lawyer who has represented individuals nationwide in personal injury claims. If you have been exposed to Vinyl Chloride at Firestone-Bridgestone or another tire and rubber plant, and have questions about your legal rights, please contact The Lyon Firm.
Common Chemicals Used in Tire & Rubber Factories
Ohio’s largest rubber and chemical producers such as Firestone, B.F. Goodrich, Goodyear, General Tire, and others commonly used harmful chemicals and failed to warn workers of their hazards. Some toxins in rubber and chemical facilities may include:
• Vinyl Chloride (known carcinogen)
• Benzene (known carcinogen)
• Styrene
• Toluene
• Xylene
• Butadiene (known carcinogen)
• Phenols
• Heavy metals (zinc, chromium, nickel, lead, copper and cadmium)
• Polychlorinated biphenyls (known carcinogen)
Vinyl Chloride Exposure Hazards
Because rubber and polymer plants use hundreds of dangerous chemicals to produce their products, workers are easily exposed, and have been known to develop serious illnesses and cancers after years of working at facilities like Akron, Ohio’s Firestone plant. Firestone-Bridgestone workers are considered at high risk of Benzene, Asbestos, and Vinyl Chloride exposures, all known to cause cancers like angiosarcoma.
Several studies have suggested that breathing air or drinking water containing moderate levels of vinyl chloride may increase the risk of cancer. Occupational studies conducted of workers who have chronically inhaled vinyl chloride show an increased risk for cancers of the liver like angiosarcoma. Other VC-related diseases and cancers include the following:
• Angiosarcoma
• Brain cancer
• Lung cancer
• Lymphomas
• Leukemia
• Oral cancer
• Kidney cancer and damage
• Nerve damage
• Immune reactions
• Blood clotting
• Male infertility
• Birth Defects
