Teflon is a per-and polyfluorinated substance (PFAS) that has adverse health effects, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Teflon refers to a substance manufacturer use in nonstick products, which is typically associated with nonstick cookware like pots, pans, and utensils. Additionally, manufacturers may have used it to make other substances resistant to water, like jackets or even types of coating on older cars. Today, health officials know this substance is capable of causing everything from disease to cancer and beyond. While some manufacturers stopped producing products with PFAS, some argue to continue using them, according to Reuters.
What Are Known Symptoms Associated with Exposure to PFAS?
While research on the topic is always ongoing, health authorities have known for well over a decade that PFAS can cause issues with the human immune system, including reproductive function, liver damage, and more, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They note that a compromised immune system has the potential to expose victims to several diseases, making the diseases in question much more dangerous than they need to be as the body cannot fight them off. Their research also links PFAS to more serious complications, like cancer.
Unfortunately, as PFAS proliferated in the US market in the 1940s, exposure to the substance may have occurred for several generations. While every amount of PFAS in the body will not be fatal to a person, it has the potential to cause irreversible health effects. While manufacturers may not have realized its dangerous potential in the 1940s, Reuters notes pushback from companies to stop using variations of PFAS that continues to this day. As with any dangerous, defective product, companies struggle to address public concern.
Why Are PFAS Dangerous?
Teflon is a PFAS, but PFAS refer to a family of thousands of chemicals, there are some that are not so dangerous, while others can stay in a person’s body for years and cause serious health concerns. Health effects aside, these PFAS also have the same effect on the environment. As manufacturers used and championed them for their ability to resist fire and water, among other elements, these chemicals sit safely in nature when left unchecked, unable to be broken down for long periods of time by their natural surroundings.
As a result, countless people may have PFAS in their bodies, and they might not even know it. While certain testing can determine if PFAS may have caused a person’s condition, the true dangers of these chemicals remain largely unknown. Even then, some people are not aware of their potential to exist in everyday surroundings, like drinking water and local wildlife.
For an example of their harmful potential, if PFAS get into the water supply, they may also get into the fish in the local lake. When eaten, the consumer may then take on those PFAS, as they have not broken down inside the animal. The process can then continue many times over, causing untold damage.
How Can I Get Compensated in PFAS Cases?
If Teflon is a PFAS and you have used Teflon products in the past, you may have suffered exposure to PFAS. There have been significant class-action lawsuits over the years regarding PFAS cases, and more people have chosen to turn to PFAS lawyers to file claims against companies that allowed this negligent exposure to occur. As every case is different and every victim may have had their own way of being exposed to dangerous amounts of PFAS, speaking with an attorney may help the victim understand the legal process better. A lawyer can look into your claims, including medical files and any other related evidence, and potentially bring legal action against the parties responsible for any physical, mental, and financial suffering you had to endure.
PFAS Lawyers Ready for Your Case
If you have been harmed by PFAS in any way, the attorneys at the Pintas & Mullins Law Firm can fight for your right to compensation. We sympathize with victims who have had their lives derailed by these reckless companies, and we do not shy away from tough cases. To learn more, contact Pintas & Mullins Law Firm at (800) 794-0444 for your free consultation. You are not in this alone.