Teflon’s manufacturer, the giant US chemical company, DuPont, has been faced with a variety of Teflon lawsuits. The damage claims center on the supposition that a perfluorinated compound perfluoroctanoic acid (PFOA) or C-8, is used in the manufacture of Teflon and has been linked to serious environmental and health side effects.
In 2005 DuPont paid over $340 million to settle two Teflon class actions that were linked to contamination of the water supplies in the communities near the West Virginia and Ohio DuPont plants.
Other Teflon litigation has centered on DuPont’s failure to warn the public and regulatory agencies of the dangerous side effects that may result from using Teflon. DuPont has continuously claimed that “C-8 does not harm human health or the environment.” The EPA, which now ranks C-8 as a “likely carcinogen” does not agree.
In April 2006 attorneys in at least 15 Teflon class action lawsuits will be attending a hearing at the federal court in Des Moines, Iowa to see if their Teflon class action lawsuits can continue. The Teflon attorneys in that litigation are not attempting to prove that Teflon causes adverse effects on human health. They are focusing on the claim that DuPont knew about the possible dangers and didn’t reveal the information. One Teflon attorney points out that he only has to prove that DuPont lied, not that Teflon causes cancer. These Teflon class actions seek to have DuPont replace millions of dollars worth of Teflon cookware and cooking utensils.
Check out the following articles for more information about Teflon, filing a Teflon lawsuit and finding a Teflon attorney: