Toxic Chemical and Gas Exposure Lawyer: Kern County, CA
Common Toxic Substances in Kern County’s Oil Industry
People employed by Kern County’s oil and gas industry may be at risk of exposure to a wide range of hazardous gases, petroleum vapors, drilling fluids, solvents, and other industrial chemicals. The most serious exposure injuries, however, are typically caused by the following agents.
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is widely regarded as one of the most toxic gases in oil and gas production. Exposure at high concentrations can cause loss of consciousness, lasting neurological injury, and, at the most severe levels, death. Because hydrogen sulfide is heavier than air, it accumulates in low-lying and enclosed spaces such as pits, tanks, and trenches, where a worker may have little chance to escape.
Benzene occurs naturally in crude oil and refined petroleum products, and workers may encounter it during tank gauging, pipeline maintenance, refinery operations, fuel loading, storage tank cleaning, well servicing, and equipment repair. Long-term benzene exposure is associated with bone marrow suppression, leukemia, aplastic anemia, and other blood disorders, and even repeated low-level exposure can become medically significant over time.
Volatile organic compounds released during petroleum production include toluene, xylene, ethylbenzene, hexane, and other petroleum hydrocarbons. Depending on the compound and the level of exposure, these can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, memory impairment, and damage to the liver, kidneys, and nervous system.
Drilling and production chemicals include corrosion inhibitors, fracturing chemicals, drilling mud additives, acids, caustics, solvents, and degreasers. Improper handling, equipment failures, leaks, and inadequate ventilation all increase the risk of exposure.
Hydrogen Sulfide Poisoning Claims
Hydrogen sulfide releases tend to happen during a predictable set of operations: well drilling and servicing, blowouts, tank cleaning, pipeline failures, separator maintenance, confined-space entry, refinery maintenance, and emergency pressure releases. Because the gas deadens the sense of smell at higher concentrations, a worker cannot rely on odor as a warning, which is why an employer operating in a known hydrogen sulfide environment is expected to provide gas detection, worker training, emergency response planning, respiratory protection where required, and evacuation procedures.
Cal/OSHA Exposure Standards
California oil and gas employers must comply with all Cal/OSHA standards, including those that specifically govern toxic substance exposure, respiratory protection, and hazard communication. Cal/OSHA sets permissible exposure limits for many hazardous substances, including hydrogen sulfide and benzene, and requires employers to monitor workplace conditions and to reduce exposures when those limits may be exceeded.
Compliance with a permissible exposure limit does not by itself eliminate liability. An employer may still be responsible for failing to monitor airborne contaminants, maintain gas detection systems, provide appropriate respiratory protection, train employees on known hazards, correct known leaks, warn contractors, or maintain safe work procedures. Evidence of a Cal/OSHA violation can be an important part of a hydrogen sulfide exposure case.
Recognizing the Symptoms of H2S Exposure
Lower-level or short-term exposure can produce symptoms within seconds or minutes, including burning or watering eyes, coughing, difficulty breathing, headache, nausea, dizziness, and loss of coordination. These can be easy to mistake for something else, which is one reason an exposure sometimes goes unrecognized at first. A worker who survives a more serious exposure may appear stable immediately afterward and still go on to develop lasting neurological injury, which is one reason prompt medical evaluation matters even when symptoms seem to pass.
Future Damages for Chronic Chemical Exposure
Valuing chemical exposure cases fully can be a complex process, and often requires medical experts, toxicologists, vocational experts, or life-care planners, depending on the severity of the exposure. The recoverable compensation generally falls into the following categories.
Future Medical Care
Many toxic exposure injuries require years of treatment, including specialist care, prescription medication, pulmonary rehabilitation, neurological treatment, cancer treatment, mental health care, and respiratory therapy.
Lost Future Earnings
Physical symptoms of toxic exposure can permanently reduce a person’s ability to continue working in the physically demanding field of oil and gas. Damages can include lost wages, reduced earning capacity, lost promotions, reduced retirement benefits, and the cost of employment retraining.
Permanent Disability
Chemical injuries can result in cognitive impairment, permanent respiratory limitations, chronic headaches, memory deficits, vision problems, and reduced exercise tolerance, all of which can affect daily life.
Pain and Suffering
Compensation can also account for physical pain, emotional distress, and reduced quality of life.
Because toxic exposure injuries often evolve over time, early legal investigation matters. Speak to an attorney so that evidence is preserved before worksite conditions change or exposure records disappear.
Long-Term Health Effects of Toxic Exposure
Repeated exposure to lower concentrations of hazardous chemicals may not be immediately evident, but can contribute to illnesses that develop months or years later. Examples of these include chronic respiratory disease, asthma, chronic bronchitis, cognitive impairment, peripheral neuropathy, memory loss, liver disease, kidney damage, blood disorders, and certain cancers. Prolonged exposure to benzene in particular has been linked by decades of medical research to certain blood cancers and bone marrow diseases. Establishing that workplace exposure caused these conditions typically relies on industrial hygiene records, exposure reconstruction, and toxicology evidence, all of which an attorney can investigate.
$22.1
million
Pedestrian Accident
$15
million
Products Liability Explosion
$11
million
Premises Liability
$10
million
Oilfield Accident
$10
million
Motorcycle Accident
$9
million
Industrial Accident
$8.8
million
Police Misconduct
$8
million
Pedestrian Accident
Medical Monitoring as Recoverable Damages
One often-overlooked part of a chemical exposure claim is medical monitoring. Because certain toxic exposures can substantially increase the risk of future illness, the cost of reasonably necessary future monitoring may be recoverable in certain cases, as ongoing surveillance allows for earlier detection and treatment. Monitoring can include periodic blood testing, pulmonary function testing, cancer screening, neurological evaluation, imaging, specialist consultations, and long-term occupational medicine follow-up. This category of damages can matter most for benzene and other exposures associated with delayed illness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) poisoning occurs when a person inhales dangerous concentrations of H2S gas. Depending on the severity and duration of exposure, injuries can range from eye irritation and respiratory problems to permanent brain injury or death. If your exposure resulted from unsafe working conditions, equipment failures, inadequate gas monitoring, or another party’s negligence, you may be able to pursue a personal injury claim or other legal action under California law.
Yes. If medical evidence connects your illness to occupational or environmental chemical exposure caused by another party’s negligence, you may seek compensation for current and future medical expenses, lost income, diminished earning capacity, pain and suffering, disability, and, where appropriate, the cost of ongoing medical monitoring.
Many toxic exposure illnesses have a delayed onset, and conditions associated with benzene, volatile organic compounds, and other petroleum chemicals may not become apparent until months or years after exposure. A delayed diagnosis does not necessarily prevent a claim, but strict legal deadlines can apply. Speaking with an attorney as soon as you suspect a connection between your illness and a past exposure helps protect your rights and preserve evidence.
Serving Bakersfield and Kern County
Chain | Cohn | Clark represents clients throughout Kern County. We understand the hazards facing workers in California’s petroleum industry and the complex medical issues that can accompany toxic exposure claims. No matter when an exposure occurred, we can investigate the circumstances and explain the legal options available to you. Contact Chain | Cohn | Clark today for a free case review.
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