Animas is an unincorporated community in west central Hidalgo County, New Mexico, United States, in the southwestern corner of the state. It lies at the intersection of State Roads 9 and 338 south of the city of Lordsburg, the county seat of Hidalgo County. Its elevation is 4,406 feet (1,343 m), and it is located at 31°56′56″N 108°48′26″W / 31.94889°N 108.80722°W / 31.94889; -108.80722 (31.9489799, -108.8072777). Although Animas is unincorporated, it has a post office. Founded in 1909, it has the ZIP code of 88020; the ZCTA for ZIP Code 88020 had a population of 1,063 at the 2000 census. Founded around 1753 by the Spanish, Animas became part of the newly independent country of Mexico in 1821. Unlike most of New Mexico, Animas was not part of the Mexican Cession after the end of the Mexican–American War; it is located in the area transferred to the United States by the Gadsden Purchase of 1853. Animas is an isolated community. Located in the Pyramid Mountains just west of the Continental Divide, it lies approximately thirty miles from Lordsburg, the nearest significant population center. Smaller communities closer to Animas than Lordsburg include Cotton City, Playas, and Rodeo. It lies in a region rich in Native American history: twenty-one different archeological sites in the Animas area are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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 New Mexico

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...