Wittmann is a small unincorporated community in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It is located along U.S. Route 60 in the central part of Arizona, about 35 miles northwest of central Phoenix, and while technically located within the city's metropolitan area it is generally regarded by locals to be just outside of it. Although 2000 US Census figures place 4,174 residents living within the 85361 zip code and thus having a Wittmann address, Wittmann does not have any official or Census designated boundaries, and a large portion of that population resides in other communities and would not readily identify themselves as living in the town. Wittmann is located in an area of rapid growth and the locale has suffered from numerous growing pains. The Nadaburg Elementary School District located in Wittmann, which had long been considered a small, rural school, was forced to construct a larger, modernized school in 2004 to accommodate the influx of students and the district is already planning for a second school nearby. Increased traffic along Highway 60 necessitated a widening of the highway. The highway's location parallel to the BNSF railway unfortunately meant that the widening would claim a number of homes and local businesses, including the only prominent service station between Phoenix and Wickenburg, as well as the community's landmark overpass footbridge servicing the elementary school. Past efforts to incorporate the community failed largely due to opposition from local landowners and thus there has been no real local government or planning agency. The nearby city of Surprise has in recent years annexed much of the land near and around the town, and has included it as part of the city's general plan. This has effectively removed any chance that the town might incorporate at some point in the future, and once the town is annexed by the city of Surprise it will have lost its identity completely.

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...