Two Oregon woman have been awarded a six-figure settlement after suing for being exposed to hazardous materials at the site of a semi truck crash.
The crash occurred on Nov. 3, 2013 on Interstate 84 near Durkee, Oregon.
According to Oregon Live, Kortney Broecker and Shantelle Nay were traveling on I-84 around 1 a.m. when they noticed large pieces of metal in the middle of the road. Worried that other cars might crash into the debris, they stopped to move the debris off the road.
As they moved the metal pieces off the road, they noticed a crashed semi truck and found the bleeding driver barely conscious. They immediately called 911.
What they didn’t realize, however, was that they were standing in a hazmat scene. More than 4,000 gallons of tetramethylammonium hydroxide had spilled at the crash site.
“The substance is used in the semiconductor industry to etch silicon and can be fatal to humans with direct contact with concentrated quantities.” wrote Aimee Green, a journalist for The Oregonian.
Once authorities arrived, the two woman were ordered to strip down so they could be doused with water. Their car and clothing were incinerated due to contact with the chemical.
The truck driver, Ronald Glenn Hanes Sr of California, was cited for careless driving. He told police he took his eyes off the road to pick something up from the floor of his cab when he lost control.
The women claim they suffered serious reactions after being exposed to the spilled tetramethylammonium hydroxide, including hair loss, vision loss, spontaneous vomiting, severe headaches, and more.
They filed a lawsuit against the trucking company, LeSaint Chemical Logistics, demanding $18,000 for lost wages and medical bills, plus an additional $400,000 for emotional distress.
In December 2015, they agreed to a $100,000 settlement.
The Oregon Dept. of Transportation investigated the company after the crash, but found no wrongdoing by the company.
