Class action lawsuits are being filed after people in Georgia were exposed to toxic chemicals from the BioLab pool chemical facility.
What You Can Do & How We Can Help
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting BioLab induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was exposed to toxic chemicals from BioLab in Conyers, Georgia, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Class Action Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
What Happened?
In September 2024, a fire at the pool chemical company BioLab sent a massive plume of toxic chemicals into the air around Conyers, Georgia.
About 17,000 people were told to evacuate immediately. Another 90,000 people in Rockdale County, GA (about 25 miles east of Atlanta) were told to shelter-in-place with their windows closed. Unfortunately, weather conditions caused plume of toxic smoke to linger in the air for days.
UPDATE: BioLab Class Action Lawsuits Filed in Georgia
Lawsuits were filed soon after the incident, including multiple class actions, for the people who lived, owned property, worked, or operated a business within 50 miles of the BioLab facility and were ordered to evacuate, shelter-in-place, or advised to stay indoors due to toxic chemicals in the air.
The first BioLab Class Action Lawsuit was filed against Bio-Lab Inc. and KIK Custom Products on September 30, 2024 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia (Atlanta) — Case 1:24-cv-04411-SE.
On October 2, 2024, another class action lawsuit was filed against BioLab and KIK Custom Products by a man who lived within 7 miles of the facility. He is seeking to represent everyone who:
- Lives near the BioLab chemical fire and toxic chemical plume
- Forced to evacuate due to health risks
- Had to shelter-in-place at home
- Advised to stay indoors due to the chemical fire and toxic chemical plume
The lawsuit was filed on October 2, 2024 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia (Atlanta Division) — Case 1:24-cv-04471-SEG.
Lawsuits Claim BioLab Failed to Safely Store Hazardous Chemicals
All of these class action lawsuits accuse BioLab of negligence for failing to properly store hazardous chemicals. One of the chemicals that is named in these lawsuits is TCCA, a chemical that reacts violently with water to produce toxic chlorine gas.
Lawsuits claim that BioLab stored TCAA in 2,750-pound “super sacks” on warehouse floors. BioLab’s “reckless handling of TCCA has caused numerous prior explosions and mass casualty events,” including an incident in 2004 that hospitalized 30 people.
BioLab Had History Of Chemical Accidents
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board is investigating the most recent BioLab fire in September 2024, but the agency has investigated other accidents at the BioLab plant in Conyers. In September 2020, the agency investigated Biolab after a “plume of hazardous chemicals, including chlorine, that exposed Bio-Lab personnel and nine firefighters to dangerous fumes.”
BioLab Pool Products Contain TCCA
BioLab makes pool and spa products that contain trichloroisocyanuric acid (TCCA). This chemical can react with water to produce toxic chlorine gas and explosive nitrogen trichloride, according to an Investigation Report from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board.
What is TCAA?
TCCA is a chemical that keeps pool water clean and clear. In large bodies of water like a pool, TCCA breaks down slowly and releases chlorine into the water to kill algae and bacteria — but small amounts of water can cause TCCA to react explosively.
According to the warning from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board:
“When TCCA comes into contact with small amounts of water and does not dissolve, it can undergo a chemical reaction that generates heat, causing the decomposition of TCCA, which produces toxic chlorine gas.”
What Is The Risk?
People in Rockdale County reported smelling chlorine in the air, but the chemical plume from BioLab might contain other toxic chemicals. Lawsuits have named several other chemicals that may be involved, including chlorine gas, hydrochloric acid, bromide, and phosgene.
Symptoms of Exposure To Chlorine Gas
The health risks from the BioLab fire unknown, but in general, people who are exposed to pool chemicals and chlorine gas can experience symptoms, such as:
- Coughing
- Headache
- Chest pain
- Asthma attacks
- Breathing problems
- Upper respiratory irritation
- Eye irritation
- Ear, nose and throat issues
- And more
How Do I Join A Class Action?
If you were exposed to toxic chemicals from the BioLab plant fire and you want to join a class action lawsuit, the first step is to contact a lawyer and tell them what happened to you (and/or your loved ones).
Based on this information, our lawyers may be able to determine if you qualify to join a class action lawsuit, or file your own individual lawsuit.
How Much Money Is My Lawsuit Worth?
Instead of joining a class action, people who were injured may be able file individual lawsuits against BioLab. This type of lawsuit will typically seek compensation for pain and suffering, medical bills, lost income, decreased quality of life due to ongoing health problems, and more.
Can I File My Own Lawsuit Against BioLab?
About 17,000 people in Conyers were evacuated, but thousands of other people were downwind of the chemical plume from BioLab. Individual lawsuits may be filed against BioLab by people who were injured by toxic chemicals in the air in Rockdale County, Georgia.
If you experienced health problems, symptoms of toxic chemical exposure, coughing, breathing problems, or you needed medical attention, you may be eligible to file a lawsuit.
Do I Have a BioLab Class Action Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting BioLab induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was exposed to toxic chemicals from BioLab in Conyers, Georgia, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Class Action Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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