LAW 7864 - Toxic Torts

As a legal subject, toxic torts constitute both the common-law origins of and a continuing companion to environmental law because they deal with state-law means of redressing harmful contamination. In popular culture, toxic torts have been the subject of numerous books and movies, including A Civil Action, Erin Brockovich and The Buffalo Creek Disaster. The toxic torts course explores the common-law legal remedies available to people who have been injured by exposure to, or whose properties have been contaminated by, toxic and hazardous materials. Specific topics discussed will include the common-law causes of action available, problems of proof and causation, and the relationship of common-law remedies to the federal environmental and medical statues, such as RCRA, CERCLA, FIFRA, TSCA and the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.