Advertising Material – Attorney Advertising
Updated October 21, 2026.
On the night of October 20, 2026, a hazardous chemical leak near 1050 Progress Avenue in North Toledo forced families out of their homes and kept thousands more indoors with the windows shut. If that was you, your household, or your workplace, we want to hear what happened to you.
Our review is free, confidential, and carries no obligation.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026: 1-mile evacuation zone ordered by Toledo Fire & Rescue at 10:48 p.m.
Wednesday, October 21, 2026: 3-mile shelter-in-place order added at 4:24 a.m.
Raintree Village and Alexis Addition evacuated; Toledo Public Schools and Washington Local closed; Toledo Assembly Complex sent workers home
If you are having trouble breathing, chest pain, or severe burning in your eyes or throat, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room now. Follow Toledo Fire & Rescue instructions on when it is safe to return home.
For incident information, call Engage Toledo at 419-936-2020.
According to the City of Toledo, a hazardous materials leak began at about 10:48 p.m. on October 20 at a facility on Progress Avenue near Enterprise Boulevard, in the industrial strip west of the Toledo Speedway. The fire department identified the location as the Sterling Pipe & Tube facility and said the material leaked from a tank or trailer on the property. Dense fog and still air held the vapor low over the north end of the city, and officials warned that residents could not tell fog from the chemical by looking at it. The city described the chemical as an irritant that can cause burning of the eyes, nose, mouth, and skin, with headache, dizziness, tiredness, nausea, and vomiting as signs of overexposure. The cause of the leak, the amount released, and which companies owned and handled the chemical are under investigation. No court has made any finding of fault.
When a company releases a chemical into a neighborhood, the people who paid for it with a night in a parking lot, a missed shift, a hotel bill, or a sore throat have a right to ask who is responsible. Details fade fast. The time you first smelled it, the gas station receipt, the text from your supervisor: write it down while it is fresh.
The form below takes about ten minutes. It asks when and where you noticed an odor, what you were told to do, where you went, any symptoms in your household, hours of work missed, out-of-pocket costs, and whether anyone from a company or insurer has contacted you. You can upload photos of the haze, residue on cars or windows, receipts, your evacuation alert, and any papers you were given. Filling it out does not obligate you to hire us, and it does not make us your lawyer until we both sign a written agreement.
This form takes about ten minutes. Everything you share is confidential and reviewed by our office. Filling it out does not obligate you to hire us, and it does not make us your lawyer until we both sign a written agreement. Confidential. Reviewed by an Ohio attorney. No cost and no obligation.
Possibly. Ohio law allows people to recover for the costs and disruption a company’s release causes, including lodging, food, fuel, lost wages, and the loss of use of your home, even without a physical injury. Whether and how much depends on facts still being gathered. Document everything.
It may. Being ordered to stay inside with the ventilation off, missing work, or keeping children home from closed schools are real losses. Tell us your address and what you experienced and we will evaluate it.
Ask for the offer and any paperwork in writing, and do not sign anything until a lawyer has read it. Reimbursement offers often include a release of every claim you have, including claims for symptoms that show up later.
Maybe. Businesses inside the zones that had to close, lost inventory, or turned customers away may have claims for their losses. Keep your sales records, payroll, and any photos of residue on the property.
We strongly encourage you to take immediate action. Do not wait. Evidence disappears long before deadlines arrive.
Nothing to submit your information or to talk with us. If we take your case, we work on a contingency fee, which means we are paid a percentage of what we recover for you, and nothing if we recover nothing. We cannot advance money for hotel bills or living expenses; Ohio’s rules for lawyers forbid it.
If you have been in an accident, or a family member has been injured or killed in a crash or some other incident, you have many important decisions to make. It is important for you to consider the following:
1. Make and keep records – If your situation involves a motor vehicle crash, regardless of who may be at fault, it is helpful to obtain a copy of the police report, learn the identity of any witnesses, and obtain photographs of the scene, vehicles, and any visible injuries. Keep copies of receipts of all your expenses and medical care related to the incident.
2. You do not have to sign anything – You may not want to give an interview or recorded statement without first consulting with an attorney, because the statement can be used against you. If you may be at fault or have been charged with a traffic or other offense, it may be advisable to consult an attorney right away. However, if you have insurance, your insurance policy probably requires you to cooperate with your insurance company and to provide a statement to the company. If you fail to cooperate with your insurance company, it may void your coverage.
3. Your interests versus interests of insurance company – Your interests and those of the other person’s insurance company are in conflict. Your interests may also be in conflict with your own insurance company. Even if you are not sure who is at fault, you should contact your own insurance company and advise the company of the incident to protect your insurance coverage.
4. There is a time limit to file an insurance claim – Legal rights, including filing a lawsuit, are subject to time limits. You should ask what time limits apply to your claim. You may need to act immediately to protect your rights.
5. Get it in writing – You may want to request that any offer of settlement from anyone be put in writing, including a written explanation of the type of damages which they are willing to cover.
6. Legal assistance may be appropriate – You may consult with an attorney before you sign any document or release of claims. A release may cut off all future rights against others, obligate you to repay past medical bills or disability benefits, or jeopardize future benefits. If your interests conflict with your own insurance company, you always have the right to discuss the matter with an attorney of your choice, which may be at your own expense.
7. How to find an attorney – If you need professional advice about a legal problem but do not know an attorney, you may wish to check with relatives, friends, neighbors, your employer, or co-workers who may be able to recommend an attorney. Your local bar association may have a lawyer referral service that can be found in the Yellow Pages or on the Internet.
8. Check a lawyer’s qualifications – Before hiring any lawyer, you have the right to know the lawyer’s background, training, and experience in dealing with cases similar to yours.
9. How much will it cost? – In deciding whether to hire a particular lawyer, you should discuss, and the lawyer’s written fee agreement should reflect: a. How is the lawyer to be paid? If you already have a settlement offer, how will that affect a contingent fee arrangement? b. How are the expenses involved in your case, such as telephone calls, deposition costs, and fees for expert witnesses, to be paid? Will these costs be advanced by the lawyer or charged to you as they are incurred? Since you are obligated to pay all expenses even if you lose your case, how will payment be arranged? c. Who will handle your case? If the case goes to trial, who will be the trial attorney?
This information is not intended as a complete description of your legal rights, but as a checklist of some of the important issues you should consider.
THE SUPREME COURT OF OHIO, WHICH GOVERNS THE CONDUCT OF LAWYERS IN THE STATE OF OHIO, NEITHER PROMOTES NOR PROHIBITS THE DIRECT SOLICITATION OF PERSONAL INJURY VICTIMS. THE COURT DOES REQUIRE THAT, IF SUCH A SOLICITATION IS MADE, IT MUST INCLUDE THE ABOVE DISCLOSURE.
You are not required to hire any lawyer. If you have been contacted by a company or insurer, you may ask them to put any offer in writing and take it to a lawyer of your choice before deciding.
The Boerst Law Office, Inc. has been representing injured people since 2009. We handle injury cases throughout Ohio including, but not limited to the following areas: Toledo, Bowling Green, Bryan, Clyde, Defiance, Delta, Findlay, Fremont, Kenton, Lima, Maumee, Monclova, Napoleon, Perrysburg, Port Clinton, Oregon, Ottawa, Sylvania, Swanton, Sandusky, Tiffin, Upper Sandusky, Van Buren, Waterville, Wauseon, Whitehouse, Woodville, and many more.
This form takes about ten minutes. Everything you share is confidential and reviewed by our office. Filling it out does not obligate you to hire us, and it does not make us your lawyer until we both sign a written agreement. Confidential. Reviewed by an Ohio attorney. No cost and no obligation.