RPC Environmental Tort Consultants
Ronald T. Luke
JD, PhD
President
Brian Piper
PhD
Senior Consultant
Angela VanDerwerken
PhD
Senior Consultant
Peggy Hamilton
CPA
Senior Consultant
We define Environmental torts as injuries to property and property value. We define Toxic Torts as injuries to persons. While often related by causation, they require different analysis of causation and damages. RPC has the economic, statistical and clinical expertise to assist plaintiff and defense counsel in both types of litigation.
Environmental Torts
Environmental torts can cause direct or indirect damage to property values. Pollutants can be visible discharged on a specific property, such as an oil or chemical spill. Although a property may have been cleaned, and declared non-hazardous, there may be lasting stigma damages to property value. Buyer fear can reduce a property’s market value even if those buyer fears are unfounded.
Current operations, past discharges and past contamination of industrial sites can harm the value of nearby properties even if there is no direct discharge. The harm can come from current noise or odors, or from perceived risk of future accidents.
RPC has analyzed the impact of environmental damage on the value of properties affected by Superfund sites, landfills, pipeline breaks, refinery discharges and pesticide plant contamination. Our economists and statisticians employ a variety of tools including multiple regression analysis and extensive appraisal data to determine the impact of stigma damages to a property. We can also analyze whether a current property owner has been damaged or if the current owner purchased the property after the environmental factor was already factored into the purchase price.
Toxic Torts
A toxic tort is a personal injury case that involves harm caused by exposure to hazardous materials such as chemicals, pesticides, pharmaceuticals or toxins. The injured party can sue for lost wages and medical expenses. RPC provides plaintff and defense attorneys with expert analysis in toxic tort cases. We determine loss of earnings and reasonableness of medical charges. Our physician consultants, life care planners and economists collaborate to determine the injured party’s physical and cognitive impairments, future health care needs, and the present value cost of that care.
Contact us for a preliminary review of documents and a discussion of your environmental tort or toxic tort claim at no obligation.