Toxic Torts: How Chemicals in Your Cleaning Products Can Cause Injury

The Collins Law Firm is proud to represent Illinois individuals, families, and workers harmed by toxic exposure — including chemicals found in everyday cleaning products. Many people assume that consumer and industrial cleaners are safe because they’re sold on store shelves or used in workplaces. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case.

Some of these products contain hazardous substances that can cause respiratory damage, burns, reproductive harm, or even cancer. When manufacturers fail to warn consumers or properly test their products, they can be held legally responsible.

At The Collins Law Firm, we fight for justice when corporate negligence puts public health at risk.

What Is a Toxic Tort?

A toxic tort is a type of personal injury case involving exposure to harmful chemicals or environmental toxins. These cases often arise when a person develops a disease or serious health condition after contact with a dangerous substance — either at home, work, or in the community.

In Illinois, toxic torts can involve:

• Household products (cleaners, solvents, air fresheners)
  
• Industrial chemicals used in factories or warehouses
  
• Groundwater or soil contamination from nearby facilities
  
• Airborne pollutants from industrial plants or waste sites
  

When exposure results from a company’s negligence, victims may have grounds for a lawsuit to recover compensation for their injuries and losses.

Dangerous Chemicals Commonly Found in Cleaning Products

Many household and commercial cleaners contain chemicals that are known to cause health problems with repeated or prolonged exposure. Common offenders include:

• Ammonia and chlorine bleach – Can irritate or burn the skin, eyes, and lungs, and create toxic gas when mixed.
  
• Formaldehyde – A known carcinogen found in some disinfectants and air fresheners.
  
• Phthalates – Linked to hormonal disruption and reproductive harm.
  
• Quaternary ammonium compounds (“quats”) – Used in disinfectants; may trigger asthma and respiratory issues.
  
• Glycol ethers – Found in glass and oven cleaners; linked to neurological and fertility problems.
  
• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – Contribute to headaches, dizziness, and long-term lung damage.
  

These chemicals can be especially dangerous for janitorial staff, healthcare workers, factory employees, and families using concentrated cleaning agents at home.

How Chemical Exposure Happens

Toxic exposure can occur in many ways:

• Inhalation – Breathing in fumes, vapors, or mist during cleaning or mixing products.
  
• Absorption – Skin contact with corrosive or carcinogenic substances.
  
• Ingestion – Accidental swallowing, often affecting children in the home.
  
• Environmental contamination – Polluted air or groundwater caused by industrial runoff or improper disposal.
  

Over time, these exposures can lead to chronic health conditions that require medical attention — and, in many cases, long-term financial support.

Health Effects Linked to Toxic Cleaning Chemicals

Depending on the substance and duration of exposure, toxic cleaning products can cause:

• Burns and chemical irritation
• Asthma and chronic bronchitis
• Neurological symptoms such as dizziness, memory loss, or tremors
• Liver and kidney damage
• Reproductive harm and birth defects
• Cancer, including leukemia and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
  

Some symptoms appear immediately, while others may not surface for years. The Collins Law Firm works with medical and environmental experts to connect these health outcomes to chemical exposure.

Employer Responsibility and Workplace Exposure

Illinois employers have a legal duty to protect workers from dangerous chemicals under both state and federal safety laws. That includes:

• Providing adequate ventilation and protective gear
• Training employees on chemical safety
• Maintaining Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
• Substituting less hazardous substances when possible
  

When employers fail to follow these rules and a worker becomes ill, the case may involve both workers’ compensation and a toxic tort claim against the manufacturer or distributor of the dangerous product.

The Collins Law Firm handles both individual and group claims for janitorial staff, industrial workers, and others exposed to unsafe cleaning agents.

Product Liability: Holding Manufacturers Accountable

Manufacturers of cleaning products have a legal responsibility to ensure their products are reasonably safe when used as intended — and to warn consumers about potential dangers.

A company can be held liable if:

• It failed to test for known chemical hazards.
  
• It withheld information about toxicity or long-term health effects.
  
• The label lacked adequate warnings or usage instructions.
  
• The product contained defective or contaminated ingredients.

When these failures cause harm, The Collins Law Firm files product liability lawsuits to hold manufacturers, distributors, and sometimes retailers accountable.

Environmental Contamination and Community Exposure

In some cases, cleaning chemicals don’t just harm individuals — they contaminate entire neighborhoods. Improper disposal of solvents, detergents, and industrial cleaners can lead to:

• Tainted groundwater in residential areas
  
• Air pollution from volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
  
• Soil contamination near manufacturing plants
  

These environmental exposures can result in widespread health problems across entire communities. The Collins Law Firm has a long history of fighting these large-scale toxic tort cases — helping Illinois residents hold corporations accountable for polluting the places they live and work.

Proving a Toxic Tort Case

Toxic tort litigation is complex and evidence-intensive. To win, your attorney must show:

1. You were exposed to a harmful chemical.
   
2. The chemical was defective or dangerous under normal use.
   
3. The manufacturer or responsible party was negligent or failed to warn you.
   
4. The exposure caused your illness or injury.

The Collins Law Firm builds cases using scientific testing, expert witnesses, and extensive documentation — including corporate safety data, internal