Our attorneys have been assisting the Orange County and Southern California communities for over 40 years.
Since the late 1970s, the San Bernardino diacetyl lung injury attorneys at DiMarco | Araujo | Montevideo have been working hard to help lung and respiratory injury patients win their lawsuits and claims and receive the maximum legal compensation. Even after all the research and findings regarding the dangers of diacetyl exposure, we are troubled by how prevalent it is in factories, industries, and food processing plants. We are even more saddened by how slow the food processing industry has acted to prevent exposure to diacetyl.
Contact us today to set up a free initial consultation and case evaluation to discuss your diacetyl exposure case. Given our vast experience with diacetyl, we believe it is important for you to get medical help no matter how much exposure you have had to it. We are considered by some to be the best San Bernardino County lung injury lawyers and we will continue to strive to live up to those high standards.
From the many diacetyl cases we have represented, we know just how badly diacetyl exposure affects the lungs and the ability to breathe. Our San Bernardino lung injury lawyers are prepared to utilize their experience and fight on your behalf. We promise to work diligently to ensure that you get the comprehensive and timely medical attention that you need. Call our experienced San Bernardino lung injury lawyers today at (909) 436-4610 to learn more about your legal options and the merits of your case. We will be able to guide you in and out of court.
For those who have never heard of it, diacetyl is a naturally occurring chemical substance that is used to produce a buttery odor and flavor. Diacetyl is used widely as an ingredient to impart the buttery flavors, feel, and odors to a broad variety of manufactured foods and manufactured flavors. Diacetyl is also used in “natural” and artificial flavorings, such as butter-flavored candy, microwave popcorn, baked goods, and cake and bread mixes. Additionally, it is commonly used as an ingredient by flavoring manufacturers for use in flavorings that require a buttery flavor or odor, such as buttermilk, caramel, and butterscotch. Its use has grown over the last few decades as companies look to cut down on real butter.
There are many categories of workers who are at risk for being exposed to diacetyl so even if your career is not listed, be vigilant in finding out if your place of work has even trace amounts of diacetyl in the air. Food processing workers may be at risk of developing respiratory injuries, severe lung disease, or being afflicted by asthma due to the “natural” butter flavoring diacetyl. This includes employees in snack factories, flavoring companies, popcorn factories, microwave popcorn factories, bakeries, and mass food production plants. If you have been exposed to diacetyl at work and are suffering, contact our San Bernardino work injury lawyers today.
The San Bernardino workers’ compensation lawyers at DiMarco | Araujo | Montevideo have been involved in many work comp claims for diacetyl lung injuries. We have helped people who have developed lung injuries at work including the so-called “popcorn lung” from diacetyl. Workers’ compensation laws are there to keep injured workers and their families protected and compensated after a work accident or an injury on the job. This includes the fact that employers cannot penalize or fire employees for filing a workers’ compensation claim.
The work comp insurance held by your employer has the potential to provide financial compensation to you and your family for disability, medical benefits, death benefits, permanent disability compensation, medical expenses, income, and vocational rehabilitation (when the circumstances of the job injury warrant such payments).
Diacetyl has been identified as a substance that can cause severe respiratory injuries or worse. Studies have shown that inhalation of diacetyl vapors can damage the cell linings of the respiratory airway tracts of animals (in testing). Additionally, studies have shown that the lungs of mice exposed to diacetyl vapors show similar damage to that of bronchiolitis obliterans in human beings. A study by a European diacetyl manufacturer also identified workers with respiratory injuries similar to those of food workers exposed to diacetyl. Food processing industry employees exposed to food flavorings containing diacetyl have developed serious respiratory illnesses, which may show up first with shortness of breath upon exertion, dry cough, persistent wheezing, and fixed airways obstruction on spirometry.
One other possible condition that exposure to diacetyl could lead to is bronchiolitis obliterans. It is a severe form of obstructive lung disease which occurs when small airways become inflamed and scarred, resulting in the thickening and narrowing of the airways. This definitely obstructs the flow of air and oxygen through the lungs. The symptoms and the extent of airway obstruction can range from mild all the way to severe. It is a permanent condition which means that lung function does not improve when exposure is stopped.
To make matters worse, the condition also makes the lungs more susceptible to lung infections, such as bronchitis and pneumonia. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms or you believe a family member, coworker or friend is, it is important to seek medical help and call our firm right away at any hour of the day or night.
We are one of the few lung injury firms around that have a vast amount of experience with cases that involve the devastating effects of diacetyl exposure. We are passionate about helping those who have already been exposed to it and working to get rid of its use as a food ingredient. The free initial consultations and case evaluations have always been an effective way for our potential clients to get to know our team of quality lawyers and staff and learn about the legal merits of their cases. Our law firm operates all of its cases on a contingency basis where you will not owe or pay us anything unless we win your injury case with a positive trial verdict or settlement.
The San Bernardino diacetyl lung injury lawyers at DiMarco | Araujo | Montevideo will come to you at your house or hospital room if you are unable to come to our office. We are well known in Southern California for our service and success in litigating cases. Our San Bernardino County personal injury attorneys will also be available by appointment for meetings on the weekend and evening if you do not have the time to see us during the normal times of Monday through Friday between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm. We wish you the best possible recovery. Contact us online or call us at (909) 436-4610 for your free consultation.