Jury to decide whether DuPont must pay woman who drank water with cancer-causing chemicals

(Associated Press)

Jury to decide whether DuPont must pay Ohio woman who drank water with cancer causing chemicals

Jurors have begun to deliberate the federal case of an Ohio woman who says she got cancer after drinking water contaminated with DuPont chemicals.

The Columbus Dispatch reports that Carla M Bartlett, 59, is just one of 3,500 people who say they became sick after drinking water from the Ohio river contanimated by DuPont. The chemical giant dumped nearly 55,000 pounds of C8 into the river in 1999.

DuPont attorney Damon Mace argued against the claim saying that, ”Just because C8 is capable of causing cancer doesn't mean it did.

The paper reports that Ms Barlett has been free from kindney cancer for 20-some years after an operation in 1997. Mr Mace pointed to her recovery pointing to the woman's weight and saying that "obesity" may have been a contributing factor to her former cancer.

The plaintiffs coming forward against company claim they knew the chemical was cancerous but hadn't informed the public of health hazards until 2012.