Prescott is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, USA. Locals prefer to pronounce the name PRES-skit. It is also Arizona's official Christmas City. According to 2009 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 43,217. The city is the county seat of Yavapai County. In 1864 Prescott was designated as the capital of the Arizona Territory, replacing the temporary capital at Fort Whipple. The Territorial Capital was moved to Tucson in 1867. Prescott again became the Territorial Capital in 1877, until Phoenix became the capital in 1889. The towns of Prescott Valley (7 miles east) and Chino Valley (16 miles north), and Prescott, together comprise what is locally known as the "Tri-City" area. This also sometimes refers to in general central Yavapai County, which would include the towns of: Dewey-Humboldt, Mayer, Paulden, Wilhoit, and Wlliamson Valley. Combined with these smaller communities the Tri-City area as of 2007 has a population of 103,260. Prescott is the center of the Prescott Metropolitan Area, defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as all of Yavapai County. In 2009, Yavapai County was estimated to have 229,640 residents by the U.S. Census Bureau, making Prescott the third-largest metropolitan area in Arizona, after Phoenix (4.2 million) and Tucson (1 million). Prescott's four-season climate is generally mild, owing to the altitude of 5,354 ft (1,632 m), being significantly cooler than the lower southern areas of the state and yet without the harsher winters found at higher altitudes. The Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe reservation is located next to, and partially within, the borders of Prescott.

What is toxic tort law?

Toxic Tort cases involve people who have been injured through exposure to dangerous pharmaceuticals or chemical substances in the environment, on the job, or in consumer products -- including carcinogenic agents, lead, benzene, silica, harmful solvents, hazardous waste, and pesticides to name a few.

Most toxic tort cases have arisen either from exposure to pharmaceutical drugs or occupational exposures. Most pharmaceutical toxic injury cases are mass tort cases, because drugs are consumed by thousands of people, many of whom become ill from a toxic drug. There have also been many occupational toxic tort cases, because industrial and other workers are often chronically exposed to toxic chemicals - more so than consumers and residents. Most of the law in this area arises from asbestos exposure, but thousands of toxic chemicals are used in industry and workers in these areas can experience a variety of toxic injuries. Unlike the general population, which is exposed to trace amounts of thousands of different chemicals in the environment, industrial workers are regularly exposed to much higher levels of chemicals and therefore have a greater risk of developing disease from particular chemical exposures than the general population. The home has recently become the subject of toxic tort litigation, mostly due to mold contamination, but also due to construction materials such as formaldehyde-treated wood and carpet. Toxic tort cases also arise when people are exposed to consumer products such as pesticides and suffer injury. Lastly, people can also be injured from environmental toxins in the air or in drinking water.

Answers to toxic tort law issues in Arizona

In certain kinds of cases, lawyers charge what is called a contingency fee. Instead of billing by the hour, the...

Because of the health problems caused by lead poisoning, the federal Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction...

Property owners may be liable for tenant health problems caused by exposure to environmental hazards, such as...

In general, mass tort cases involve a large number of individual claimants with claims associated with a single...

Federal court opinions concerning toxic tort law in Arizona