On July 7, 2022, Lieberman Blecher & Sinkevich filed suit on behalf of Daniel Sullivan, a 30-year-old man seeking damages from Middlesex Water Company for the testicular cancer he was diagnosed with at age 25.
Mr. Sullivan was raised in Fords, New Jersey from 1992 to 2018, where he ingested about one gallon of water per day, showered every day, and often swam in the pool.
Since at least 2007, it is alleged the water provided by Middlesex Water Company has been contaminated with PFOA, which is one of several chemicals known as PFAS, or “forever chemicals.” Middlesex Water Company’s Annual Quality Tests show that their water supply has contained high levels of PFOA since at least 2008, and the company was apparently aware of the dangerousness of their PFOA levels since at least 2017.
After discovering the dangerousness of the PFOA levels, it is asserted Middlesex Water did not warn its customers until January 2022 of the health risks, which include testicular cancer.
The lawsuit asserts that Middlesex Water caused Mr. Sullivan’s cancer, which required him to undergo chemotherapy and have his left testicle removed, by supplying contaminated water which caused a buildup of PFOA in his body. Mr. Sullivan seeks damages against Middlesex Water for, among other things, gross negligence and negligent misrepresentation that the water was safe to drink.
According to Stuart Lieberman, Mr Sullivan’s trial lawyer, “it’s a shame we cannot take clean drinking water for granted any longer. Water companies absolutely must do a better job.”