Nalcrest, Florida is a retirement community in Polk County. The community's ZIP code is 33856. It is part of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area. The community's name is an acronym for National Association of Letter Carriers Retirement, Education, Security and Training, as it was designed by and continues to be operated by the Nalcrest Foundation, Inc. , a branch of the National Association of Letter Carriers, the union representing United States Postal Service city letter carriers. It was the brainchild of William Doherty, the first United States Ambassador to Jamaica and NALC President from 1941–1962. Construction began on the community in July 1962 and the community opened in 1963. Initially, due to HUD regulations, residency was open to both NALC members and others, but when the mortgage was paid in 2002, the HUD restrictions were removed and residency is now limited to NALC retirees in good standing only. The community consists of 253 acres, 153 of which are developed into 500 garden-style apartments. The remaining 100 acres are undeveloped and includes Lake Weohyakapka, a 15 square mile lake around which the community is developed. The apartments are a mix of efficiency and one-bedroom units, and all are on ground level. Units are leased on an annual basis and the rental rate includes water, sewer, trash removal, basic cable TV, interior/exterior maintenance, and use of the community's recreational facilities (but not electricity). Pets are not permitted. In addition to being NALC retirees in good standing, tenants must also be able to care for themselves and for housekeeping chores, as the community is not an assisted living facility and does not have an on-site physician. Prospective tenants must pay first and last month's rent; not unsurprisingly, the only form of payment accepted is a Postal money order. Among the most interesting features of the community is that, despite being a retirement community for postal letter carriers, there is no home mail delivery – residents must pick up their mail at the post office in the Town Center.

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 Florida

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...