The disease is caused by exposure to chemicals known as diacetyl and has been associated with people who are diagnosed with bronchiolitis obliterans.
Bronchiolitis obliterans is characterized by persistent and severe symptoms include the following: wheezing, dry cough that does not produce any phlegm, and shortness of breath that can be debilitating.
In a number of cases involving popcorn lung, the symptoms reported have been misdiagnosed as pneumonia, asthma, emphysema, or bronchitis.
In fact, popcorn lung is a serious illness rather rare and have been found at high levels among workers at microwave popcorn factories, and workers in the
It has also been seen in a recognized consumer eating large amounts of butter flavor microwave popcorn every day.
The main reason for popcorn lung is exposure to the chemical diacetyl.
This chemical is used to give the popcorn its tasty butter flavor.
The companies that manufactured, sold and even used the chemical that flavored the popcorn owed consumers and factory workers a duty of care to properly test the product for
safety and warn people as to any potential dangers regarding the product.
Because this duty of care was breached, there have been a number of popcorn lung lawsuits reported, with results leading to millions of dollars of compensation being awarded to
those who have come down with the condition bronchiolitis obliterans.
Popcorn lung poses serious physical consequences to those affected because it causes severe lung disease that is not reversible.
This type of lung disease causes inflammation that produces scarring, leading to tissues becoming hardening, and airways becoming obstructed.
It also often causes patients to need a lung transplant in order to survive.
Lawsuits that have been filed for people who have contracted popcorn lung are based upon the following principles: the manufacturer of the chemical diacetyl failed to provide adequate warning regarding
the possible risk of inhaling the vapors of the butter popcorn flavoring; proper testing was not conducted that would have provided evidence that the vapors from the microwave popcorn could
cause workers exposed to it on a regular basis to suffer damage to their respiratory systems, lungs, or other respiratory issues; the manufacturer did not properly report the side effects
of the chemical to the factory workers; the manufacturer did not provide instructions for proper use of the butter flavoring for the microwave popcorn or warning about properly using the
chemical; the manufacturer did not provide warnings or instructions regarding proper ventilation and respiratory protection for the factory workers when using the chemical; the manufacturer did not provide warnings about
monitoring at regular periods to gather information on exposure for factory workers in order to ensure over exposure to the chemical did not take place.
If you or someone you know was harmed after being exposed to the chemicals used to make the butter flavoring for microwave popcorn it is important that you understand you
do have legal rights, and you may be able to file a lawsuit to seek compensation for your injuries.
A number of individuals who have worked in factories that made microwave popcorn or the chemicals used for the flavorings have brought forth successful suits to help cover their
expenses for past, present, and future medical bills, as well as pain and suffering, loss of income, and punitive damages.
The best course of action for bringing forth a suit is to contact a personal injury attorney who specializes in the area of product liability and negligence.
These attorneys are extremely skilled in this area of the law and are very qualified to handle your case.
Your attorney will review the details of your claim, gather evidence, collect medical records, interview parties pertinent to the case, arrange for expert testimony if needed, and deal directly
with the manufacturer, factory, and all other responsible parties.
Since most personal injury attorneys work on a contingency basis, you do not have to worry about paying a cent while your case is pending.
Without this added worry, you can rest assured you have a legal professional handling your case in your best interest, while you focus on your personal health and well being.
The public places a great deal of trust in the products that are being used either commercially or personally and expects they are safe.
People place their faith in manufacturers and expect that they have taken all of the steps necessary to produce a product that will not cause more harm than good,
and that all tests have been completed to ensure this level of care.
When this trust has been broken and innocent people have been injured or even killed because of negligence, action needs to be taken.
It is for this very reason that court systems often award injured parties punitive damages in these types of cases.
Punitive damages are meant to do nothing more than punish the party responsible in an effort to deter them from committing similar acts in the future.
Even though hiring a personal injury attorney and filing a lawsuit cannot undo the damage that has been done, and it cannot erase your pain and suffering, it can help
to secure your future, and protect the future of others.
Issues such as popcorn lung could have and should have been avoided if the manufacturer acted in a responsible manner, and this type of serious issue cannot be ignored.
