Lehighton is a borough in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, 86 miles (138 km) north by west of Philadelphia. In the past, it was the site of silk and lace mills, a meat-packing house, shirt factory, automatic-press works, car shops, stoneworks, foundries, etc. In 1900, 4,629 people lived here; in 1910, 5,316 lived here; and in 1940, 6,615 lived here. The population was 5,537 at the 2000 census. Lehighton is the most populous borough in Carbon County and is the business hub of the county as well. Lehighton is located in northeast Pennsylvania, on the Lehigh River, 26 miles (42 km) north/northwest of Allentown and 35 miles (56 km) south of Wilkes-Barre. Lehighton was built on the site of the German Moravian Brethren's mission station Gnadenhütten (Tents of Grace) which was founded in 1746. The German name was transcribed with Canatanheat by John Brainerd. This was the site of the first Gnadenhutten Massacre on 24 November 1755, during the French and Indian Wars when 10 missionaries and native converts were slain by native allies of the French. The station was destroyed, only four out of the fifteen persons escaped. Other Christians, both native and German, moved farther West and founded Gnadenhütten, Ohio, which in 1782 was victim of the second, better known Gnadenhutten Massacre committed by American militia from Pennsylvania. The town was the boyhood home of artist Franz Kline. For many years the Lehigh Valley Railroad was the town's largest employer, with several thousand residents working in the railroad's repair facilities or operating the railroad. The downtown declined after the Carbon Plaza Mall was built in nearby Mahoning Township, but is experiencing a rebirth after three decades. One of the largest events every August in Lehighton is the "Bike Night" featuring 28,000 plus motorcycles. In late September through October the Country Junction store hosts The Great Pocono Pumpkin Festival which features hayrides, haunted woods, and mazes.

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 Pennsylvania

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...