A personal injury lawyer has taken to TikTok to reveal the three common household items he avoids having in his home.
The lawyer, known as Tommy to his hefty 279,000 followers, uses his social media account to decode complex legal terms and offer a glimpse into his life as a catastrophic injury and death attorney in the US – a role akin to a personal injury solicitor in the UK, handling cases of severe trauma including deaths, brain and spinal damage, amputations, and chronic pain conditions.
Working closely with police, insurers, medical staff, those at fault, and other key players, Tommy’s goal is to win compensation for victims. In a candid clip, he disclosed: “These are the three household items I would never use or buy under any circumstances and I’m going to explain in scientific detail why. Number one is any type of plug-in air freshener.”
He justified his first avoided item by asserting: “These things often contain volatile organic compounds such as formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, which have been linked to different types of cancer and they’ve also been linked to migraines, neurological problems and asthma.”
Tommy, a health-conscious consumer, has also warned against antibacterial cleaners. He said: “Believe it or not, these actually contain pesticides. These sprays that are sold to clean your homes and I don’t want pesticides in my house.”
He also pointed out potentially serious health risks associated with pesticides, including cancer.
Additionally, Tommy expressed his aversion to mothballs, a product he suspects is not as commonly used today but still poses a significant threat.
He claimed: “Mothballs actually contain a toxin called naphthalene. When it mixes with the air it releases a gas, which is actually the smell of mothballs and that is a suspected cancer causer.”
He went on to describe how exposure to naphthalene can cause respiratory issues, headaches, dizziness, nausea, and potentially hemolytic anaemia, where red blood cells break down prematurely.
The video has sparked concern among viewers, with many sharing their surprise in the comments section. One viewer commented on a personal experience: “Not me eating a mothball under my parents bed when I was four.”
One user raised concerns about the law surrounding the products, writing: “If the plug in fragrances are known to contain toxins and carcinogens, why haven’t they been banned? It’s so crazy!”
Another user shared a disturbing experience, saying: “I used to clean houses. You can’t use any heat conducting electrical plug in once you’ve used a plug in air freshener. They tend to leak into the outlet and can cause a fire inside the wall.”
