Cliff Island is an island in Casco Bay Maine. It is part of the city of Portland, Maine. As of the 2000 census, the island had a year-round population is around 60 people. In the summer it can swell up to approximately 200. Originally named Crotch Island due to its H-shape and natural harbors. It is the only year-round inhabited island in Casco Bay with no paved roads. In the early 20th century the island's inns were a draw for summer tourists. There are now no hotels but many homes are available for weekly rentals or longer. While there are no public services residents enjoy a community hall, a tennis court, baseball field, and playground. The residents are served by a USPS Post Office, fire department, and one-room school for elementary grades. In 1987 the feature film The Whales of August was filmed entirely on location on Cliff Island. The buoy that was used in the film as a transitioning tool is now on display outside of the Casco Bay Lines Ferry Terminal. The film was among the last for stars such as Bette Davis, Lillian Gish, Vincent Price, and Ann Sothern. The cottage where the film was made is still owned by Frank Pitkin's family whose great grandmother, Josephine Pitkin, built the cottage named "Pitkin Point", in 1910.

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 Maine

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...