Sigourney (pronounced "SIGG-ur-nee") is a city in Keokuk County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,209 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Keokuk County. The Sigourney Community School district encompasses nearly a 70-square-mile (180 km) radius, drawing students from smaller surrounding communities. Approximately 700 students are enrolled yearly, with an average of 350 attending elementary (K-6) and 350 students attending junior/senior high (7-12). The average graduating class is 50 students with 80% moving on to college. The school system's mascot is the Sigourney Savage. Sigourney is represented by Rep. Leonard Boswell in the United States House of Representatives. Keokuk County was opened for white settlement in 1843, and the town got its start in 1844 when S.A. James built the first cabin there. Other families began to settle there as well, and in 1844, the town was named by county commissioner Dr. George H. Stone in honor of popular poet Lydia Sigourney. A large oil-painted portrait of Lydia still graces the foyer of the county courthouse.

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...