For Immediate Release: On February 5, 2019, attorney Robert Teel and the law firms Edelson P.C. and Tousley Brain Stephens PLLC sued five corporations that designed, produced, and distributed a firefighting foam called Aqueous Film Forming Foam (or AFFF) allegedly used at the Naval Air Station Whidbey Island and the Naval Outlying Landing Field Coupeville on Whidbey Island. The AFFF produced and sold by the defendants is alleged to contain toxic chemicals called PFAS—perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances—which have been identified in concentrations above acceptable exposure guidelines.
As a result, the lawsuit alleges, significant portions of the water supply and soil on Whidbey Island are contaminated with PFASs, exposing residents to significant health risks and devaluing their properties. The lawsuit accuses the companies of producing and selling their AFFF products knowing they contained highly toxic PFAS that would inevitably reach the water supply and cause harm. Read a copy of the complaint here.
If you are a current or former Whidbey Island resident, your health and property value may be adversely affected as a result of PFAS contamination. You may be eligible to recover damages. The attorneys who filed the class action lawsuit are seeking to file individual cases as well. Whidbey Island residents are urged to contact them for a free case consultation. To learn more visit http://www.whidbeyislandpfas.com/ or www.universaljustice.org/whidbey/.
WHAT ARE PFASs?
PFASs are a class of man-made chemicals that are not found naturally in the environment. The major ways humans are exposed to PFASs are drinking contaminated water, absorbing it through the skin, and ingesting food contaminated with PFASs such as certain types of fish and shellfish. Risk assessments and review have concluded that PFASs are likely to be carcinogenic in humans.
Indeed, studies in humans with PFAS exposure have shown that certain PFASs may:
- affect growth, learning, and behavior of infants and older children;
- lower a woman’s chance of getting pregnant;
- interfere with the body’s natural hormones;
- increase cholesterol levels;
- affect the immune system; and
- increase the risk of cancer.
Robert Teel, from the Law Office of Robert L. Teel, is a resident of Washington who formerly resided on Whidbey Island. Robert has over 30 years of experience handling hundreds of cases for both plaintiffs and defendants at every stage of the legal process. He advocates for human and civil rights and the rights of consumers and investors.
Edelson PC has prosecuted some of the largest and most complex lawsuits in recent years, and has secured over $1 billion for their clients in settlements and verdicts. As a result, Edelson has been recognized as a “Titan of the Plaintiffs Bar” and a “Plaintiff’s Class Action Powerhouse.” Commentators have singled out Edelson’s willingness to tackle problems other firms shy away from and their creativity in finding winning strategies that were not readily apparent.
The Law Office of Robert L. Teel 