Toxic Chemical Exposure at Boeing Plants

Boeing, the world’s largest aerospace company and leading manufacturer of commercial jetliners, space and security systems, uses many toxic chemicals at its facilities, including hexavalent chromium, cadmium, and a large number of industrial solvents. These dangerous chemicals have been proven to cause birth defects, developmental delays and even cancer in the children of workers exposed on the job. As a leader in birth injury litigation, the birth defect lawyers at Waters Kraus & Paul have the experience and determination to see that justice is served.

We represent families exposed to toxic chemicals at Boeing

Since the 1970s, Boeing has known that the chemicals in its workplace can cause birth defects, stillbirths, infertility, cancer, and other serious illness.

The birth defects can result from chemical exposures to the father before conception, as well as to the mother during pregnancy.

These parents and their children who have been harmed deserve justice, and our birth defect attorneys are here to help. We also fight for necessary change to improve industry standards, regulations, procedures and corporate behavior.

How did workers at Boeing plants get exposed to toxic chemicals that cause birth defects?

Dating as far back as the 1970s, Boeing was aware of the reproductive danger posed to its workforce by the toxic chemicals used in its manufacturing facilities. However, the company failed to adequately warn its workers and often did not provide them with adequate protective gear. Even today, there are reports of workers not wearing adequate protective gear while working around or with hazardous chemicals.

What types of toxic chemicals are found at Boeing that could cause birth defects?

Primarily these birth-defect causing chemicals could be found in solvents, primers, paints, sealants, corrosion inhibiting compounds (CICs), alodine, and vinyl repair inks — often used in painting and manufacturing airplanes and airplane parts. Specifically, these chemicals include:

  • Hexavalent chromium
  • Cadmium
  • Toluene
  • Xylene
  • Cellosolves
  • Lead
  • Methyl ethyl ketone MEK
  • Methyl propyl ketone MPK
  • Petroleum distillates
  • Naphtha
  • Benzene
  • Trichloroethylene

What types of workers were exposed to these toxic chemicals at Boeing plants?

  • Mechanics and airplane mechanics who have worked with, or around, primers, paints, solvents, sealants, CICs, alodine, and/or vinyl repair inks.
  • Painters
  • Sealers
  • Parts assemblers who have worked with chemicals
  • Employees who work or have worked in areas where planes and parts are manufactured
  • Employees who work or have worked in electronics manufacturing, including at the Electronics Manufacturing Facility (EMF) at Boeing Field in Seattle. This circuit board manufacturing facility is no longer in operation, but children with birth defects whose parents worked at EMF may have viable claims against Boeing.

How do toxic chemicals cause birth defects and what kinds of defects?

Toxic chemicals can cause reproductive harm to both men and women, disrupting the parents’ abilities to reproduce or causing them to pass on damaged and defective DNA to their children. Birth defects linked to chemical exposures include:

  • Congenital heart defects
  • Spina bifida
  • Rare genetic disorders
  • Childhood cancer
  • Premature death
  • Toxic Myopathy
  • Cognitive impairment
  • Developmental delays
  • Shortened or missing limbs
  • Missing or deformed organs
  • Skeletal and limb abnormalities
  • Brain cancers
  • Endocrine disruption
  • Neurological disorders
  • Lower birth weight and size
  • Premature death
  • Cranial defects
  • Facial abnormalities
  • Cleft palate

At what Boeing facilities did the toxic exposure occur?

  • Everett, Washington
  • Renton, Washington
  • Auburn, Washington
  • Seattle (and in the EMF now closed)

And at many other Boeing sites around the country, including in:

  • St. Louis
  • Oregon
  • Long Beach, California
  • South Carolina

How We Help Birth Defects Victims  

Seek justice with the help of our experienced birth defects lawyers. Our birth injury law firm has battled corporate giants on behalf of individuals like you for 20 years, aggressively fighting to hold them responsible for dangerous chemicals used in manufacturing facilities like Boeing’s, and the birth defects and personal injuries they cause. If you have a child with birth defects caused by exposure to pesticides, we can help.

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