Chemical Company Accused of Contaminating Montana Town with Asbestos
Several retired executives from W.R. Grace & Co. face criminal charges for exposing residents of a Montana mining town to asbestos and failing to disclose their knowledge to workers and government agencies. If convicted, they may receive up to 15 years in jail and have to pay millions of dollars in fines.
The company's vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana contained naturally occurring asbestos fibers. Exposure to this toxic chemical may lead to the development of mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer. Due to asbestos exposure, 200 residents of Libby have died and 2,000 others have developed a serious asbestos-related condition.
Prosecutors contend that the company had knowledge that the mine contained asbestos fibers long before any of the local residents became sick. Yet, they continued mining vermiculite in this toxic environment and even donated contaminated mine waste to local schools to use on their running tracks.
Residents of Libby currently experience a death rate from asbestosis that is 40 to 80 times higher than the rest of the country, and their lung cancer rate is also considerably higher than what would be expected in a town of that size.
It is important to consult an experienced asbestos attorney if you have suffered a serious illness from exposure to the toxic substance. When companies knowingly place people's lives at risk by failing to safely contain asbestos, they must be held accountable for their actions.
If you have an asbestos or mesothelioma claim in the Maryland, Pennsylvania, or Delaware area, please contact the Law Offices of Peter G. Angelos, P.C. today to schedule a consultation.
Labels: asbestos, mesothelioma
58 Corporations Charged in Massive Asbestos Lawsuit
Joseph and Lisa Headley have filed an asbestos lawsuit against 58 corporations. By encompassing all of these companies, it becomes the largest asbestos lawsuit in our nation's history.
Headley's claim alleges that all 58 corporations had knowledge that their products contained asbestos and that these products were harmful to the health of anyone exposed to them. He claims that the companies charged in the lawsuit failed to provide him with the protective gear needed when working with products containing asbestos. As a result of this negligence, Joseph Headley developed asbestos-related diseases that have left him disabled.
Asbestos is a toxic substance that was used for decades in many common products, including pipe insulation, floor and roofing tiles, tile cement, ceiling panels, and sprayed-on insulation. By the 1970s, health officials discovered that asbestos caused many harmful respiratory and cancerous conditions. Some of these include mesothelioma, asbestosis, cancer of the pharynx, cancer of the esophagus, stomach cancer, and colon cancer.
While the use of asbestos has been discontinued over the past few decades, it is still present in many buildings that were built before the 1970s. Anyone exposed to this toxic substance for a prolonged period of time is at great risk of developing a serious asbestos-related disorder.
Despite being aware of the dangers of asbestos, many corporations still fail to take the proper precautions to protect the safety of their employees. If you have developed a serious and potentially life-threatening disease as a result of your exposure to asbestos, it is important to consult an experienced asbestos attorney to ensure that you receive the proper compensation for your injuries.
If you have an asbestos or mesothelioma claim in the Maryland, Pennsylvania, or Delaware area, please contact the Law Offices of Peter G. Angelos today to schedule a consultation.
Labels: asbestos, mesothelioma
Asbestos Insurer Must Pay Out On Claims
The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that the Liberty Mutual Group, a Boston-based insurance company, must pay the full costs of hundreds of asbestos and mesothelioma lawsuits filed against one of the companies they insure.
Plastics Engineering Co., a family-run plastics company based in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, manufactured many products using asbestos in their Sheboygan plant from 1950-1983. As a result, Plastics Engineering Co. has faced hundreds of lawsuits from local residents who have developed mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases from exposure to the toxic chemical.
Liberty Mutual has already paid over $14 million in damages from these asbestos lawsuits. Recently, they tried to avoid paying out on future claims by insisting that all of the claims should be regarded as "one occurrence" since they were all caused by one mistake (the manufacture and distribution of products containing asbestos). According to this logic, Liberty Mutual argued that their coverage of damages would be severely limited.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court did not agree with Liberty Mutual's interpretation and ruled that each lawsuit must be treated as a separate case. Liberty Mutual will be required to pay the full cost of compensating victims in accordance with the policy limits.
Many people across the country have developed serious illnesses as a result of exposure to asbestos. If you have developed mesothelioma, asbestosis, or any other asbestos-related disease, you may be eligible to receive compensation for your injuries. It is important to consult an experienced asbestos attorney to find out if you have a valid claim.
If you have an asbestos claim in Maryland, Delaware, or Pennsylvania, please contact the Law Offices of Peter G. Angelos today to schedule a consultation.
Labels: asbestos, mesothelioma
Jury Awards $15.3 million in Asbestos-Mesothelioma Case
A Baltimore County jury awarded $15.3 million, primarily in pain and suffering damages, to 73-year-old ex-shipbuilder George J. Linkus, Sr. who is suffering from mesothelioma as a result of his shipbuilding work that exposed him to asbestos fibers. He suffered exposure partly from a rope he used to line valves, a rope manufactured by defendant John Crane, containing between 60 to 70 percent asbestos. According to one of Linkus's attorneys, David L. Palmer, of the Law Offices of Peter G. Angelos, P.C, the rope "emitted visible dust," indicating "high levels of exposure." Despite the fact that a large body of literature on the dangers of asbestos existed by the 1950s when Linkus worked with the rope, he was never informed about the dangers of exposure. Palmer, along with co-counsel Andrew M. Cantor and William G. Minkin, called a series of experts including two pathologists, an industrial hygienist, and a cell biologist, constructing a case so convincing that the jury took just over half an hour to return their verdict, which included $335,000 in past medical expenses and $15 million in pain and suffering. In addition to manufacturer John Crane, the jury found two cross-defendants co-liable for Linkus's exposure injury, Owens-Illinois, Inc, a glass manufacturer that made thermal insulation containing asbestos, and Foster Wheeler, Inc, which made boilers containing asbestos. Linkus had already received a settlement from Owens-Illinois and from two other cross-defendants, Westinghouse Electric and International Paper Company, who were not found liable. It is expected that John Crane will request that the award be divided among all three cross-defendants. The life expectancy of a person diagnosed with mesothelioma is 12-18 months, although Linkus, who first suffered symptoms of mesothelioma in 2004 and was diagnosed in 2005, has fortunately outlived that period to see the verdict in his case. If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, contact the Law Offices of Peter G. Angelos, P.C. today for a free initial consultation. Labels: asbestos, mesothelioma
|
