Did An Oil Spill Kill Your Farm's Cattle? Pursue An Environmental Lawsuit
Farms help to provide cattle and other animals with a great place to grow up before heading to the slaughter yard. However, an oil spill poisoned your cattle's water supply and they all died too small to be sold and have cost you nearly everything. In this scenario, you must pursue a lawsuit with an environmental lawyer.
Many People Can Sue in an Oil Spill
Oil spills are never a good thing for anybody involved. Just about everybody will try to sue an oil company, including those who lost business profits, who experienced lost income, or who experienced environmental damage on their property. Farmers, like you, may be particularly affected if your cattle end up drinking the water affected by oil and dying as a result.
That kind of loss is the type of thing that often causes bankruptcy in many farmers. And many may feel like there is no way that they could go up against a big-name oil company. Thankfully, a growing number of environmental lawyers are working to punish those who hurt smaller people with negligent oil handling. Be prepared for a challenge if you attempt this case, though.
Defenses May Be Challenging
If an oil company has a spill near you that causes damage to your farm, you need to prepare for a very serious case. They will have many lawyers who will come up with many defenses that may try to shift blame from the company. For example, they may try to argue that unforeseen circumstances – such as a lowered bridge without their notification – caused the spill and that they cannot be blamed.
Other defenses may include mutual negligence for the spill. For example, they may say that, yes, they were negligent and that a spill occurred. However, they may also try to shift blame to you – why were your cows so near a potentially dangerous lake? – or otherwise take blame away from them and put it on others. In this way, they can negate the effects of the lawsuit on their bottom line.
Whatever the situation, it is important to have a high-quality to have an environmental law practice on your side whom you know you can trust. Doing so can help make it easier for you to sort through the complications of these laws and better understand your rights. It can even help you potentially win this type of case and walk away with the damages that you deserve.