Plaintiffs Lawyers Have New Target: Radon-Emitting Granite Countertops
Plaintiffs lawyers are advertising on the Internet for clients whose granite countertops are emitting high levels of radon.
The lawyers see opportunity in surprising disclosures that a small number of granite countertops contain radioactive uranium that releases radon as it decays, the New York Times reports. Preliminary results from tests by scientists at Rice University found that a handful of 55 granite samples tested emitted radiation at levels 100 times or more above background.
Stanley Liebert, the quality assurance director of radon testing company CMT Laboratories said most granite is safe. “But I’ve seen a few that might heat up your Cheerios a little,” he told the newspaper.
Ernest Chiodo, a Detroit physician and lawyer with an expertise in toxic tort law, told the Times that many cases may be filed, but few will be winners. “I think it will be like the mold litigation a few years back, where some cases were legitimate and a whole lot were not,” he said.
