which cincinnati attorney filed suit against dupont?

by Kurt Block I 10 min read

Robert Bilott

What is the latest lawsuit filed against DuPont and Chemours?

"I'm really hoping it shows people that a single person can make a huge difference," said Rob Bilott, the Cincinnati-area attorney whose late-90s case against DuPont is the premise for the film.

What is the Bilott lawsuit against DuPont?

Feb 09, 2018 · On Thursday, Attorney General Mike DeWine filed a lawsuit against DuPont, alleging the chemical company released a toxic chemical from its plant on the Ohio River for decades despite knowing the ...

Who was the lawyer for DuPont?

A Cincinnati attorney, his case against DuPont and the new movie "Dark Waters" A Cincinnati attorney, his case against DuPont and the new movie "Dark Waters" ... Lawsuit filed against high-profile attorney in Clearwater Stand Your Ground case. WFTS. 4m58s. Attorney files for restraining order against Judge Stefany Miley. KTNV. 2m49s.

What did Dupont do wrong in Ohio?

Feb 08, 2018 · Attorney General DeWine Files Lawsuit Against DuPont for Releasing Toxic Chemical into Ohio for Decades. (MARIETTA, Ohio)—Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today filed a lawsuit against the chemical company DuPont, alleging that for decades, DuPont released a toxic chemical from its plant on the Ohio River, despite knowing the risks it posed to Ohio’s …

How much did Rob Bilott make from DuPont settlement?

His litigation efforts yielded more than $671 million dollars in damages for approximately 3,500 people. DuPont also settled with the EPA, agreeing to pay a mere $16.5 million fine for failure to disclose their findings about C8, a toxin that is now estimated to be present in 98 percent of the world's population.Jul 12, 2021

Is Rob Bilott still with Taft?

It wouldn't surprise anyone that a lawyer dogged as Bilott is continuing the same work. He remains at the same law firm he began at, Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, having become a partner back in 1998.Nov 22, 2019

Is the DuPont lawsuit still going?

Both companies have agreed to share the costs of certain qualified expenses over a period no longer than 20 years or an amount over $4 billion. Separately, DuPont, Corteva and Chemours have agreed to settle ongoing matters in the multidistrict PFOA litigation in Ohio for $83 million.Jan 22, 2021

Who was the lawyer in dark waters?

Rob BilottHermes is among millions of Americans who might someday benefit from a class action lawsuit filed against manufacturers of forever chemicals by Rob Bilott, the Cincinnati lawyer made famous by the movie “Dark Waters.” The Taft Law partner won a $671 million settlement on behalf of 3,500 plaintiffs who alleged chemical ...Apr 2, 2020

Is Rob Bilott still suing DuPont?

Bilott is known for the lawsuits against DuPont on behalf of plaintiffs from West Virginia. Bilott has spent more than twenty years litigating hazardous dumping of the chemicals perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)....Robert BilottSpouse(s)Sarah Barlage ​ ( m. 1996)​Children35 more rows

Where is Bilott today?

Robert Bilott is a partner at the law firm Taft Stettinius & Hollister, LLP in Cincinnati, Ohio where he has practiced environmental law and litigation for more than twenty-eight years.

Do we have C8 in our blood?

According to a 2007 study, C8 is in the blood of 99.7% of Americans. It's called a "forever chemical" because it never fully degrades. DuPont had been aware since at least the 1960s that C8 was toxic in animals and since the 1970s that there were high concentrations of it in the blood of its factory workers.Jan 7, 2020

Is the movie Dark Waters a true story?

Legal thriller Dark Waters tells the story of tenacious attorney Mark Ruffalo, who takes a stand against a chemical company that has been poisoning a local town. From director Todd Haynes (Carol, Wonderstruck), the film is based on real events that affected thousands of people in West Virginia.Mar 5, 2020

Can I sue DuPont for C8 exposure?

If you or a loved one has been a victim of DuPont C8 / PFOA exposure, you may have grounds to file a lawsuit. Call (888) 492-4303 or complete an online form today to discuss your legal options.Apr 4, 2019

How many lawsuits were against DuPont?

In February 2017, DuPont settled over 3,550 lawsuits for $671 million. DuPont is a manufacturer of the plastic material, Teflon, in Parkersburg, West Virginia, USA.

How many lawsuits have been filed against Dupont?

The USA Today Network reported in 2016 that the company now faces 3,500 lawsuits filed in federal court by Mid-Ohio Valley residents in a 185-square-mile area around Parkersburg, West Virginia.

Where are PFOAs made?

At the DuPont Washington Works plant, the chemical was used to make Teflon coating, the UC study found. PFOAs no longer are made in the U.S., according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency. But the chemical was released in the Ohio River from the 1950s until 2015, UC researcher Susan Pinney told The Enquirer.

Does Dupont have PFOA?

DeWine said DuPont knew PFOA could pose risks to Ohio’s residents and natural resources. “We believe the evidence shows that DuPont kept releasing this chemical even though it knew about the harm it could cause,” DeWine said in a statement. “We believe DuPont should pay for any damage it caused, and we’re taking this action to protect Ohio, ...

Is PFOA toxic to animals?

The lawsuit says PFOA is known to be toxic and carcinogenic in animals and is resistant to typical environmental degradation processes. It alleges DuPont negligently caused environmental contamination and created a public nuisance by allowing PFOA to enter air, soil and water in Ohio.

What is PFOA used for?

According to previous Enquirer reporting, PFOA belongs to a group of chemicals known as PFCs or PFASs, chemicals used in metal plating, computer semiconductors, water-resistant coatings and fire-fighting foam. At the DuPont Washington Works plant, the chemical was used to make Teflon coating, the UC study found.

Where is PFOA found?

The study said a DuPont manufacturing plant and its two landfills located upriver in West Virginia are likely the sources of the contamination.

Does the Tristate have a higher chemical level?

Studies have found Tristate residents have a higher level of a chemical in their bodies, likely a result of industrial discharge into the Ohio River, and now Ohio is doing something about it.

What is the lawsuit against Dupont?

The Attorney General’s lawsuit alleges, among several counts, that DuPont negligently caused environmental contamination and created a public nuisance by allowing PFOA to enter air, soil, and water in Ohio. A declaration of DuPont’s duty to compensate Ohio for expenses related to the contamination.

What chemical company is in the Ohio River?

(MARIETTA, Ohio)—Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today filed a lawsuit against the chemical company DuPont, alleging that for decades, DuPont released a toxic chemical from its plant on the Ohio River, despite knowing the risks it posed to Ohio’s citizens and natural resources.

What is PFOA in Ohio?

It says DuPont should bear the cost of investigating and cleaning up contamination from the chemical — perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) — which DuPont used to manufacture Teflon products from the 1950s through 2013. “We believe the evidence shows that DuPont kept releasing this chemical ...

Is PFOA a man made substance?

PFOA, also known as C8, is a man-made chemical that is not found naturally in the environment. Exposure to PFOA has been linked to health problems in humans, including kidney and testicular cancer, thyroid disease, low birth weight, and high cholesterol.

Where did Bilott start his law practice?

Bilott was admitted to the Bar in 1990 and began his law practice at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP in Cincinnati, Ohio For eight years he worked almost exclusively for large corporate clients and his specialty was defending chemical companies. He became a partner at the firm in 1998.

Who is Robert Bilott?

Robert Bilott is the author of the acclaimed memoir Exposure: Poisoned Water, Corporate Greed, and One Lawyer's Twenty-Year Battle Against DuPont, published in 2019 by Atria Books. The audio book version (also available through Atria Books) is narrated by Jeremy Bobb with the first chapter narrated by Mark Ruffalo.

Who plays Bilott's wife in Dark Waters?

Bilott's story also became the basis for Dark Waters, a 2019 film starring Mark Ruffalo as Bilott, and Anne Hathaway as Bilott's wife, Sarah Barlage.

Where did Joe Bilott go to high school?

Because the family moved frequently, Bilott attended eight different schools before graduating from Fairborn High School in Fairborn, Ohio. He then earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and urban studies from ...

What was the Dupont lawsuit?

A class action lawsuit filed against Dupont alleged that the company knew of the toxic properties and failed to warn workers and residents, and allowed for widespread water contamination, linked to testicular and kidney cancer cases. Medical testing for workers and residents in the Dupont contamination area provided early evidence ...

How much did Dupont pay for C8?

As a result, DuPont and Chemours agreed to pay $671 million to settle about 3,550 personal injury lawsuits. In West Virginia, DuPont used C8 since ...

What are the requirements for a wrongful death lawsuit?

Plaintiffs must satisfy the following to have a viable wrongful death or preventable cancer lawsuit: 1 Confirmed diagnosis of Testicular or Kidney Cancer 2 Resided in, attended school in, or was employed in one of affected water districts listed above 3 Residency/School/Employment was equal or greater to one year between 1950 and 2004

What is C8 in Teflon?

C8 is a chemical also known as ammonium perfluorooctanoate acid ( PFOA) which is used to make Teflon. C8 helped to prevent Teflon ingredients from clogging together during production. C8 is now known to cause kidney cancer and testicular cancer, among other adverse health conditions. If you have been diagnosed with testicular cancer ...

What is PFOA in Ohio?

The Science Panel, however, concluded that perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) put residents of the Mid-Ohio Valley (some West Virginia and Ohio counties) at a risk for developing kidney cancer and testicular cancer. The six-year study of the DuPont chemical paved the way for huge number of pending injury and Toxic Exposure Cases.

Can you file a personal injury claim against Ohio Dupont?

If you or a loved one lived in one of the contaminated areas , and have developed a related illness, you may have a personal injury claim. Any individual suffering from one of the linked diseases and cancers may have an injury claim and should contact an attorney to discuss pending Ohio Dupont Lawsuits.

Is C8 toxic to kidneys?

For a long time, before legal pressure and evidence of toxicity, DuPont said that exposure to the C8 chemical used to make Teflon was harmless.

Who was Dupont's worst nightmare?

The Lawyer Who Became DuPont’s Worst Nightmare. Rob Bilott was a corporate defense attorney for eight years. Then he took on an environmental suit that would upend his entire career — and expose a brazen, decades-long history of chemical pollution.

Is Rob Bilott understated?

Bilott is given to understatement. (‘‘To say that Rob Bilott is understated,’’ his colleague Edison Hill says, ‘‘is an understatement.’’) The story that Bilott began to see, cross-legged on his office floor, was astounding in its breadth, specificity and sheer brazenness. ‘‘I was shocked,’’ he said.

Is PFOA safe to drink?

But last June, based on a comprehensive review of previous health studies, Philippe Grandjean of the Harvard School of Public Health and Richard Clapp of the University of Massachusetts-Lowell named an ‘‘approximate’’ safe level of 0.001 p.p.b. Soon thereafter, the nonprofit Environmental Working Group analyzed two years of E.P.A. survey data to find that this threshold had been exceeded — in some cases by factors of 100 or more — in 94 water systems across 27 states. Below, the estimated number of people in each state whose drinking water is affected.

Overview

Robert Bilott (born August 2, 1965) is an American environmental attorney from Cincinnati, Ohio. Bilott is known for the lawsuits against DuPont on behalf of plaintiffs from West Virginia. Bilott has spent more than twenty years litigating hazardous dumping of the chemicals perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS).

Early life

Bilott was born on August 2, 1965, in Albany, New York. Bilott's father served in the United States Air Force, and Bilott spent his childhood on several air force bases. Because the family moved frequently, Bilott attended eight different schools before graduating from Fairborn High School in Fairborn, Ohio. He then earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and urban studies from the New College of Florida. He then earned a Juris Doctor from the Ohio State University Mor…

Career

Bilott was admitted to the bar in 1990 and began his law practice at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP in Cincinnati, Ohio For eight years he worked almost exclusively for large corporate clients and his specialty was defending chemical companies. He became a partner at the firm in 1998.
Bilott represented Wilbur Tennant of Parkersburg, West Virginia whose cattle were dying. The farm was downstream from a landfill where DuPont had been dumping hundreds of tons of perfluoroo…

Awards and recognition

• 2005 Trial Lawyer of the Year. Presented by The Trial Lawyers For Public Justice Foundation.
• 2006 Super Lawyer Rising Star. Selected by Cincinnati Magazine.
• 2008 100 Top Trial Lawyers from Ohio. Named by American Trial Lawyers Association.

Personal life

In 1996, Bilott married Sarah Barlage. They have three children, Teddy, Charlie and Tony.

See also

• Dark Waters (2019 film)
• The Devil We Know

External links

• Exposure at simonandschuster.com
• Exposure at kirkusreviews.com
• Robert Bilott at osu.edu
• Robert Bilott at theintercept.com