How Should I Handle Cancer Caused by a Sunblock Product?

How Should I Handle Cancer Caused by a Sunblock Product?

  • The Fee Is Free Unless You Win®.
  • America's Largest Injury Law Firm™
  • Protecting Families Since 1988
  • 20 Billion+ Won
  • 1,000+ Lawyers Nationwide

Free Case Evaluation

Tell us about your situation so we can get started fighting for you. We tailor each case to meet our clients' needs.
Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.
Our results speak for themselves

The attorneys featured above are licensed in Florida. For a full list of attorneys in your state please visit our attorney page.

How Should I Handle Cancer Caused by a Sunblock Product?

"What to do with cancer caused by sunblock?" This is a question an increasing number of people are asking in light of the fact that some companies have recalled their materials from the market due to the containment of dangerous and cancerous chemicals.

The CDC encourages people to wear sunblock on a regular basis to protect their skin from sun damage and possibly cancer. But what if the very sunscreen you're using is also increasing your chances of developing cancer? 

People who believe they are protecting their skin and minimizing their health risks by using sunscreen could be shocked to receive a cancer diagnosis, especially when they have no other high-risk factors that could apply to their condition. Unfortunately, this may become a reality in the coming years as people who use sunscreen with cancer-causing products may develop problems. 

Carcinogens have been detected in sun care products including the chemical known as benzene. The online pharmacy known as Valisure first petitioned the FDA to recall over 40 kinds of sun products and sunscreens after testing the products and discovering high levels of benzene. Benzene was found in nearly 30% of nearly 300 batches tested, including national and popular brands like Banana Boat or Neutrogena. In some cases, the amount of benzene inside the sun care products was three times the emergency limit established by the FDA. 

According to some medical experts, there is no safe level of benzene that should exist in sunscreen products because repeated application of any product with benzene in it could expose someone to this cancer-causing agent in very dangerous numbers. Many people are using sunscreen to protect themselves and recognize that they need to reapply it on a frequent basis if exercising or spending a long period of time outside. Unfortunately, chemicals and sunscreen can be harmful to humans, although sun protection is still necessary. 

If you have recently been diagnosed with cancer and you are concerned about its cause, there's no doubt you want to know what to do with cancer caused by sunblock. One of the most important things you can do is to get appropriate legal representation in place as soon as possible. You should seek out the support of a dedicated legal team that has experience in filing lawsuits against dangerous and defective products. 
Products can be dangerous and defective right out of the factory or as a result of inherent design flaws, but sometimes the manufacturing of a product can also cause serious issues. 

It is unknown at this stage why there were such high levels of benzene inside these sunscreen products, but if you use the defective products repeatedly, it is very possible that you could have been exposed to dangerously high levels of benzene. Even though many of these products are now off the market, the cancer-causing substance could still have negative impacts on you or your family's health.

Understanding Benzene's Cancer Risk

One of the biggest problems with Benzene in sunblock is that people might not have known they were applying this to their skin. Over time, this can lead to unintentional absorption at very high rates. This is especially dangerous for those people who spend a lot of time outdoors and use a lot of sunblock as a result, especially for younger people such as children or infants. Many parents are doing their best to make sure these children are protected from the sun but may not have realized that there was additional benzene absorption that could have occurred during this time. 

When determining what to do with cancer caused by sunblock, you might wish to better understand how benzene could contribute to cancer risk. Benzene is a flammable, colorless liquid that has a sweet scent. When exposed to air it evaporates very quickly. It is formed from natural processes like forest fires, but the greatest exposure to benzene for people has to do with human activities. Even though benzene has dangerous cancer-causing possibilities, it is one of the 20 most popular chemicals in the United States. It is frequently found in dyes, plastics, rubbers, lubricants, drugs, pesticides, and detergents. 

It was previously used as a gasoline additive and industrial solvent, although those uses have decreased over time. Benzene can also be found in cigarette smoke. In general, most people's likelihood of being exposed to benzene is at work or through the use of consumer products. But most people do not expect the items they are placing on their skin or spraying on their family would carry benzene risks. Benzene is known to cause cancer, which is largely focused on research on leukemia and other blood cell cancers. 
Researchers use two primary types of research studies to determine if a substance contributes to cancer. These are studies in people and lab studies. To people's studies, acute myeloid leukemia has been found to be higher in those workers exposed to high levels of benzene, but some studies have also suggested there is a connection between benzene and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, childhood leukemia, and acute lymphocytic leukemia.

Other blood-related cancers such as multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma may also be connected to benzene. Benzene in high doses can also cause nervous system problems such as confusion, drowsiness, tremors, headaches, dizziness, and unconsciousness. Exposure to benzene liquids or vapors can irritate the eyes, skin, or throat. Other long-term impacts include a low blood platelet count, a low white blood cell count, or even anemia.

Multiple government agencies regulate benzene levels. For example, concentrations of benzene in drinking water are limited to five parts per billion, and some states have even lower levels of exposure. In these complicated situations in which you're trying to figure out what to do with cancer caused by sunblock, you may not know whether or not your specific case has been caused by the use of sunblock with benzene in it. You need an experienced and knowledgeable lawyer who can help investigate the situation and provide you with a course of action for recovering compensation.

Scroll down for more
FAQ

Get answers to commonly asked questions about our legal services and learn how we may assist you with your case.

Morgan & Morgan

  • What Are the Early Signs of Cancer?

    Many people are aware of the kind of diagnostic tests and early warning signs to watch out for with prominent types of cancer such as breast cancer. However, it might be more difficult to identify some of the symptoms that you have developed when the cancer is caused by sunblock. Unfortunately, many of the most common symptoms associated with the early stages of cancer can be milder than with other medical conditions. It is possible for a patient to not realize that these are associated with cancer until cancer has developed into a bigger, more-threatening state. 

    Here are some of the biggest symptoms associated with cancer: 

    • Changes in your eating habits
    • Changes in your skin 
    • Symptoms affecting breathing and your voice 
    • Unexplained aches or pains

    If you’re going through any unexpected symptoms or conditions that don’t seem to heal, share this information with your doctor so that you can determine treatment options. You could have a long road ahead of you, which can be even more difficult to deal with when you realize that your condition was caused by dangerous levels of benzene in a sunblock product. 

  • Could I Hold the Sunblock Maker Accountable?

    If you can show that you used products that had unsafe levels of benzene, you might be able to use this as part of a legal claim. Any person who is diagnosed with cancer will likely face stress in addition to high medical bills. This might mean your only chance to get financial help to pay for your treatments is by hiring a lawyer who can help you file suit. 

    You and other people might all have similar claims against the sunblock maker. Make sure you keep receipts and bottles of any sunscreen you used during the time when you were exposed. This can become evidence in your legal case against the maker of the product. 

  • Why Do I Need a Lawyer? 

    Even though it is well documented that benzene was found inside many popular sunblock products, and many of these products have since been removed from the market, you cannot count on these companies to try to make it right if you have been diagnosed with cancer. Many of these companies tend to fight back when accused of including dangerous materials inside their products, and this can lead to lengthy legal battles. It is extremely important to retain an attorney who has a strong background in gathering evidence in these kinds of cases, especially if you end up combining your case with others in a class action lawsuit over cancer caused by sunblock. Your lawyer will play an important role in your case by investigating all of the medical research, most of which is still evolving as a result of this being a relatively new phenomenon. 

    It is expected that in the coming years, we will learn more about benzene's cancer risk, and you might also learn about other people who have similar cases to yours who have been diagnosed with cancer. Once the time comes, you will want a lawyer who has extensive experience filing lawsuits against similar companies and who can hold them accountable for these dangerous actions. If you have cancer, most of your focus will be spent on getting medical attention and trying to go into remission. You do not need the added stress of worrying about the legal aspects of your claim, making it essential to hire a lawyer who cares. 

    Contact the helpful experts at Morgan & Morgan today for a free, no-obligation case evaluation to take your first steps toward justice, recovery, and simply moving on with your life from this unfortunate circumstance. We’re here to help.

Scroll down for more Load More

How it works

It's easy to get started.
The Fee Is Free Unless You Win®.

Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.

  • Step 1

    Submit
    your claim

    With a free case evaluation, submitting your case is easy with Morgan & Morgan.

  • Step 2

    We take
    action

    Our dedicated team gets to work investigating your claim.

  • Step 3

    We fight
    for you

    If we take on the case, our team fights to get you the results you deserve.

Settlement

$40,000,000

Customer Story

“I was in a difficult situation when I was injured by a faulty product. I was hesitant to seek legal help but with the help of Morgan & Morgan, they made the process easy. They took immediate action and got me the compensation I deserved. I couldn't have done it without them. I highly recommend their services.” Estate of Patricia Allen v. RJ Reynolds, et al. | 2014

Client success
stories that inspire and drive change

Explore over 55,000 5-star reviews and 800 client testimonials to discover why people trust Morgan & Morgan.

Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances. Based on Select nationwide reviews

  • Video thumbnail for 5l3q2e67j8
    Wistia video play button
  • Video thumbnail for yfe952tcop
    Wistia video play button
  • Video thumbnail for z1bqwg9hkl
    Wistia video play button
  • Video thumbnail for s5nb3hnvkv
    Wistia video play button
  • Video thumbnail for t4elibxene
    Wistia video play button
  • Video thumbnail for 5nr9efxqj3
    Wistia video play button
  • Video thumbnail for e8s1x6u5jp
    Wistia video play button