One of the first questions many people ask is, “what is a toxic tort lawyer?” In essence, they are a lawyer who specializes in tort law and specifically works on toxic tort cases. While this sounds simple, it is often anything but. Toxic tort lawyers serve as representation for their client, the plaintiff, who is seeking damages from the defendant or group of defendants in a case. Toxic tort lawyers specialize in toxic tort law, meaning that they have a deep understanding of the law, keep current on toxic tort law and relevant cases, and have a broad understanding of toxic tort case history throughout the United States. This specialized knowledge is necessary in toxic tort law cases due to their complexity.

Unlike other tort cases, in a toxic tort case it is almost always highly recommended to consult with and retain a lawyer. In some personal injury cases it is possible to represent oneself in court, provided the plaintiff is seeking a relatively small settlement and the case is fairly straightforward. In contrast to this, toxic tort cases are almost always complex. Proving causation is difficult in toxic tort cases, even for experts in the field. This is compounded by the fact that polluters or manufacturers of toxic chemicals heavily defend themselves in toxic tort cases so as to avoid liability for other individuals who may have been similarly affected.