Meyersdale is a borough in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, on the Casselman River, 73 miles (111 km) southeast of Pittsburgh. In the past, its chief industry was the mining of coal. Meyersdale was first settled as early as 1776, but the growth of the town dates from the advent of the first railroad in 1871. Coal mining began in the next year. In 1900, 3,024 people resided here, and in 1910, 3,741 people resided here. The population was 2,473 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. Meyersdale is widely known as a sports town. The small community has little to bond over since the slow decline of the coal industry, other than sports. The Meyersdale “Red Raiders” have appeared on the state radar in numerous sports: Girls Volleyball, Football, Girls Basketball, Wrestling, Baseball and Track & Field. The first state champions from Meyersdale Area High School were two brothers; David and Michael Warnick. David (class of 1988) won two individual PIAA state titles in 1987 and 1988. Michael (class of 1989) won the 1989 PIAA state title held in Hershey, PA..

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...