Water contamination is a serious issue. It can be hard for people to get the proper care that they need after being exposed to contaminated water. In addition, it can lead to long-term health issues, which make it harder for people to move around and do what they want.
To help you file a successful lawsuit against those responsible for your illness due to water contamination, here are some tips that will help you in this process:
Contact a Lawyer Who Focuses on Water Contamination Lawsuits
The lawyer you hire should have experience in water contamination lawsuits. In addition, your lawyer should be familiar with the laws in your state, including any regulations that relate to water contamination. For example, if you live in California and are experiencing radon gas contamination from a nearby uranium milling facility, a lawyer who specializes in radon gas cases will be able to help you file your suit.
Water contamination is a serious issue and can cause irreversible damage to your health. Again, you can take the example of Camp Lejeune, where hundreds of people were exposed to contaminated water, and many suffered critical health conditions.
If you or anyone you know has been affected by the water contamination at Camp Lejeune? You can file a Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuit for compensation. Contact an attorney to learn more about your legal rights and how they can help.
Your attorney can also help you determine the compensation available for damages caused by contaminated water. Several types of compensation may be available; for example, lost wages due to time spent taking care of an injured family member or cleaning up after an oil spill.
According to IBIS World, more than 60,670 personal injury lawyers and attorney businesses in the US provide their services, allowing you to choose the one that best suits your need. It’s important to know these options before filing your lawsuit so there will be no surprises later on down the road.
Make Sure You Have the Right to File a Lawsuit
Before you can even begin filing a lawsuit, you’ll need to prove that you have a right to sue. It means proving that the defendant’s negligence caused your injury and that the negligence caused harm by contaminating your water supply with toxic chemicals or filth.
For example, if your tap water was contaminated with lead and copper, it would be easy to prove that another party’s negligence caused this contamination. But proving that it injured you isn’t quite as obvious.
According to the United States Attorney’s Annual Statistical Report for the fiscal year 2021, around 55,719 lawsuits were filed in all district courts. Here, in all courts, one thing is common you will have to provide evidence supporting your allegation or defense.
File Your Lawsuit in State or Federal Court
You can choose between state and federal courts when you file a lawsuit. If you’re suing for injuries caused by a contaminated water supply, which court will have jurisdiction over this case? It depends on where the contamination occurred. If your water was contaminated in Illinois but did not connect with the city’s treatment plant, the state court system has no jurisdiction over your claim.
If the contamination happened in the Illinois city of Chicago, it matters whether you live within that municipality or outside of it. State law may allow residents inside Chicago proper to sue instead of being forced into federal court if they wish.
Regardless of which tribunal hears your case first, if both parties agree they cannot settle out-of-court, their next stop will be either Federal District Court or Supreme Court. However, Forbes reported that according to the US Department of Justice, only 4% to 5% of cases go to trial, and the rest are settled out of court.
File Your Lawsuit Before the Statute of Limitations Runs Out
In most states, the statute of limitations is the time you have to file a lawsuit. For example, if you move into a house and discover that toxic chemicals are leaking into your water well, your statute of limitations will be two years from that date. You need to file your lawsuit before this time limit ends for it to be considered valid by the courts.
There are some exceptions regarding how long you have to file a lawsuit for injuries caused by water contamination. However, these exceptions typically apply when more than one person has been injured and/or a class action suit has been filed against the responsible party or parties.
To learn more about these statutes and how they affect your case, consult an experienced personal injury attorney specializing in toxic torts claims.
Get an Expert Witness to Support Your Claims
Expert witnesses are a valuable tool in many civil lawsuits. These individuals know a particular subject matter and can help provide information to the court about that subject. Expert witnesses can testify about the facts of your case, including what happened and when. They also testify about the law surrounding your case, including regulations or statutes that might be applicable.
You must choose an expert witness with experience in similar cases so that you know his/her testimony will carry weight with the judge.
Document Everything That Could Be Important to Your Case
Documentation is a crucial part of any successful water contamination lawsuit. Documentation helps you prove that the contamination was caused by your landlord or property manager, which is necessary to win your case.
To build a strong case, you need to document everything that could be important for your case. It may include photos and videos of the contaminated water coming from the tap or sink and samples of discolored water from different taps over time. You may also need witness statements from family members and other examples of health problems caused by contaminated drinking water.
Seek Legal Action for Water Contamination
You can seek legal action for water contamination if you think a chemical spill contaminated your water supply. The first step to filing a lawsuit is contacting an attorney with fair experience handling these cases. Make sure you have the right to file this lawsuit before proceeding with any court filings. It will help avoid legal complications later on in the process.
Once you’ve found an appropriate lawyer and consulted with him or her about your case, file your suit in state or federal court. If another party’s negligence caused your injuries, try filing in state court first. Then, you can move it up to federal court if necessary later on down the line. Finally, ensure you file within the statute of limitations for each claim.
You know what it’s like to live with contaminated water. But you can also count on being in good company. After all, millions of people across the country have suffered from water contamination over the last decade. If you’re one of them, now is the time to take action and fight against this injustice.
