Mineola is an unincorporated village in Mills County, Iowa, United States. This community on the highlands east of Keg Creek was first established as Lewis City during construction of the Wabash Railroad. The land had previously been owned by German immigrant freighter Louis Lanz and Germans long dominated the community. St. John's Lutheran Church was established in 1883 on the hill overlooking town. The original church closely mirrored the church at Giekau in Schleswig-Holstein from where many settlers had originated. During the early 20th century Mineola had grown into an important local shipping point with an Opera House, hotel, the Mills County German Bank, and other associated businesses. The present Mineola Community Center began as Joe Deitchler's pool hall in 1916 and was converted into the Palisades Ballroom in 1934 by Roy Wasserman. The Palisades featured a variety of famous performers, including the Lloyd Hunter Orchestra of North Omaha, Nebraska and Lawrence Welk, along with movies, bingo, and school programs with a saloon and lunchroom in front. A branch of the Glenwood State Bank still operates here, as does the Mineola Steakhouse. In recent years the village has become a bedroom community of Omaha in what is still a largely rural area. Mineola is the first major stop on the Wabash Trace southeast of Council Bluffs.

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 Iowa

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 Iowa