Has your health been negatively impacted by the odor from Puente Hills Landfill at 13130 Crossroads Pkwy S, City of Industry, California? Are you frustrated by the lack of action from landfill operators in spite of many complaints from residents? Sadly, this is a common problem throughout Southern California for those that live near a waste management facility.
Located in the San Gabriel Valley region, Puente Hills Landfill was the largest landfill in the US until it stopped operating in 2013. Right now, it is considered an artificial mountain that is in the process of becoming a natural habitat. While the future looks promising for this former trash facility, there are still decades of trash that remain in the LA County landfill. Considering that the facility took in several million tons of waste each year, it’s not surprising that the air quality in this area is less than ideal.
Living near a landfill comes with the downside of dealing with a certain amount of odors, but laws are in place to ensure that landfill operators comply with air quality standards. Otherwise, people have the right to sue the negligent owners and obtain compensation for their physical and emotional injuries. If you or your loved ones are suffering due to excessive odor from Puente Hills Landfill, contact a class action lawsuit lawyer at our office to learn about your rights and legal options.
Our Recent Verdicts and Settlements
$2.5 Million
$1.1 Million
$1.5 Million
$600,000
$525,000
$734,851
Landfill Odor Lawsuits in Southern California
South California is home to some of the country’s largest waste management facilities. These landfills and recycling centers are operated by various entities, including government agencies. Puente Hills Landfill, for example, is managed by Sanitation Districts of LA County.
Unfortunately, years of neglect and failing to update waste management solutions have caused all sorts of health problems and property damage in neighborhoods surrounding these facilities. And just because a landfill is closed doesn’t mean that all the problems created by the county have magically disappeared. If anything, excessive moisture, decomposing garbage, and long-forgotten sections of the landfill are responsible for long-term issues like the release of methane gas and DMS (dimethyl sulfide) into the air.
This is precisely the problem at Chiquita Canyon Landfill, where many years of neglecting an older area of the dump are causing residents to develop chronic nosebleeds, asthma attacks, and other symptoms. The stench from excessive quantities of DMS has caused people to keep their windows closed all day and night, and to limit outdoor activities to a few minutes at a time.
The managers of the landfill say that they’ve taken all the measures recommended by the South Coast Air Quality Management District to minimize the smell of dimethyl sulfide. However, there’s no denying that the smell is putrid enough to make people sick on a daily basis, and that these residents are no longer willing to live with these issues. That’s why over 100 of them have formed a class action lawsuit against Chiquita Canyon Landfill, though many more people throughout Castaic and Val Verde are expected to join.
This is a pivotal case for all of those whose lives have been devastated by the effects of toxins released from local landfills. If the air quality in your area has become unacceptable due to odors from Puente Hills Landfill, give us a call and learn about the legal actions that are available to you.
Health Complications from Excessive Landfill Odors
The smell of garbage is something we all have to deal with from time to time. But when these odors linger in the air day after day, year after year, the impact on your health can be serious – even life threatening. Here are some of the health issues you may be dealing with as someone that lives near Puente Hills Landfill:
- Headaches
- Nausea / vomiting
- Blurred vision
- Slurred speech
- Memory problems
- Respiratory distress, like asthma attacks and pulmonary edema
- Inflamed mucous membranes, resulting in frequent nosebleeds
- Loss of consciousness / coma
- Death
Can I Join a Puente Hills Landfill Odor Nuisance Class Action Lawsuit?
Yes, you can join a class action lawsuit for negligence by LA County if air quality violations by Puente Hills Landfill caused you harm and suffering. You do have the option of filing a lawsuit on your own, but a class action lawsuit is a sensible option in landfill odor cases, where you have many people who are affected by the same situation.
One of our Puente Hills Landfill class action lawyers can help you join an existing lawsuit or initiate a claim with the appropriate court system. With decades of experience in suing government agencies in Los Angeles County, you can count on us to bring you maximum payment from a landfill odor lawsuit.
What is the Average Settlement
for a Landfill Air Quality Violation Lawsuit?
A class action lawsuit for health issues caused by landfill odors can settle for $5,000,000 to $10,000,000 on the lower end. But lawsuits that are filed by hundreds of people can be worth $100,000,000 or more, so there’s no way to calculate what the average payment would be for a landfill odor injury claim. In addition, you have to account for the fact that settlements from a class action lawsuit are split between all the class members. So how much you will end up with is an issue you’ll need to discuss with one of our attorneys.
Our legal team is with you every step of the way, so don’t hesitate to call if you’d like to know how much you can receive in compensation from a lawsuit against Puente Hills Landfill.
How Long will it Take to Settle my Case?
Landfill injury lawsuits take around 12 to 24 months to settle when they are filed against public entities, like the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County. It’s possible that a settlement may be reached within 6 months, but we find that most lawsuits take longer, particularly if you are part of a class action claim.
The timeline to settle a Puente Hills Landfill lawsuit is longer for cases that go to trial, but this is unlikely. In our experience, over 95% of all county agency lawsuits are settled out of court, so we anticipate that your payment will be recovered without intervention from the courts. However, if trying your case in court is the best option, the timeline to resolve a landfill odor nuisance claim can take over 3 years.
Statute of Limitations for a Lawsuit against Puente Hills Landfill
As an injury victim of smells coming from a landfill, you have 2 years to file a lawsuit for monetary damages. If you fail to take action by the statutory deadline, you will lose the right to sue altogether, so it’s essential that you contact a landfill odor lawsuit attorney as soon as possible. Along with verifying the deadline for a lawsuit, we can answer any other questions you have about the legal process and help you build a solid case with strong and compelling evidence.
Contact Our Law Firm
Air quality is an on-going problem for many reasons in California, but there are steps landfills can take to minimize the release of harmful substances from decomposing waste. When landfill operators fail in their duty of care to the public, that’s when a lawsuit can help people whose quality of life has taken a turn for the worse.
For more information on filing a landfill odor class action lawsuit against Los Angeles County, please reach out to us here at Normandie Law Firm. We will represent you on contingency, meaning all legal fees are collected at the end of your case when you receive payment from a successful lawsuit. If we don’t secure your settlement award, we have a Zero Fee Guarantee, so you won’t be responsible for any legal fees.
Our attorneys look forward to advising you and achieving justice on your behalf. Contact our office and schedule a free case evaluation if your health has been impacted by the stench from Puente Hills Landfill.
Other Pages on Our Website Related to This Topic
Olinda Alpha Landfill Class Action Lawsuit Lawyer
Landfill Smell Class Action Lawsuit Lawyers
Sunshine Canyon Landfill Methane Leak Class Action Lawsuit
