DuPont Co. and Chemours Co. have been found liable for a man’s testicular cancer in one of many lawsuits filed over the toxic Teflon chemical that contaminated waters in Ohio and West Virginia.
The Plaintiff, who has lived near the company’s Washington Works plant for many years, claimed DuPont knowingly disposed the known toxic, cancer causing chemical C-8 into local waterways. C-8 is the chemical used to make Teflon. The chemical had made its way into the Plaintiff’s drinking water.
The Plaintiff alleged that DuPont knew since at least 1961 that C-8 is toxic. DuPont performed an in-house study that discovered birth defects among its own workers’ children. The company never disclosed this information to regulators or the public. In 2005, DuPont was fined $16.5 million by the Environmental Protection Agency for failing to report the birth-defect findings and other data.
A jury in Ohio delivered its verdict that DuPont was negligent and malicious after less than a day of deliberation. The jury awarded $5.1 million in associated damages, but due to the malice, the company will likely face additional punitive damages. A trial to determine the amount of punitive damages has been scheduled.