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Alabama Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos Exposure and Mesothelioma in Alabama

Alabama Mesothelioma AttorneysAlabama has its fair share of manufacturing plants, shipyards, and other industrial sites tarnished by the legacy of asbestos. While asbestos now has limited usage in industry in the United States because of its serious health risks, people in the state (or who once worked in Alabama) still may be at risk for developing mesothelioma. This is because it takes several decades after inhalation (the primary means of exposure) for these often-fatal diseases to develop. Therefore, even if you haven’t experienced the symptoms of asbestosis, mesothelioma, or lung cancer, you may still be at risk if you or a family member worked at a high-risk work site.

The experienced attorneys at MesoLawyersCare have successfully recovered monetary compensation for workers and their families who have been injured by jobsite exposure to asbestos in Alabama and neighboring states. While individuals can be exposed to asbestos in a number of ways, the following list of worksites in Alabama are examples of places that present elevated risks for exposure to past and present workers.

1. Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Co.

The Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company (ADDSCO) in Mobile began operation in 1917 and was once one of the largest ship production facilities in the nation. After quickly expanding operations ahead of the U.S. entry into World War II, the facility reached a peak of roughly 30,000. ADDSCO shut down in the mid-1970s but reopened a few years later. The shipyard is now operated by BAE Systems and known as BAE Systems Southeast Shipyards. As with other shipyards built and operated prior to the mid-1980s (when asbestos began to be phased out), current and former workers at the yard may have been exposed to dangerous levels of airborne asbestos. Asbestos exposure often occurred when asbestos-containing materials were disturbed during the construction and overhaul of ships, and during routine maintenance and repair activities.

2. Gulf States Paper Corp.

Gulf States Paper Corp., founded in 1884, opened Alabama’s first paper mill in Demopolis in 1929. After selling the mill and much of of its other paper-related assets beginning in 2005, the company changed its name to The Westervelt Company (named after the company’s founder, Herbert Westervelt). The plant manufactured mainly paperboard (more commonly referred to as “cardboard”) products. The Demopolis plant employed 450 workers at the time of its sale and produced 327,000 tons of bleached paperboard annually. Paper mills built in the 20th century used substantial amounts of asbestos for insulation and sealants for boilers and other machinery (given the high heat generated in the manufacturing process). Workers most susceptible to asbestos-borne illnesses are those who repaired and maintained machinery and were exposed to dust from asbestos.

3. International Paper

International Paper demolished its Courtland paper mill in 2017 after shutting the facility down three years prior. The plant originally opened as Champion Paper in 1970 but was acquired by International Paper in 2000. The plant employed nearly 1,100 workers at the time of its closure, making it one of the largest employers in Lawrence County. International Paper is one of the world’s largest paper and packaging companies, having started in 1898 when 18 U.S. pulp and paper mill facilities merged. The massive corporation now employs more than 60,000 workers in more than 20 countries. The company used massive amounts of asbestos containing materials primarily because of the need to insulate and seal high-heat machinery used in the manufacturing process. Asbestos was used in insulation and cements applied to boilers and pipes, and in gaskets and packing used to seal equipment.

4. Reynolds Metals

Richard S. Reynolds founded the Reynolds Metals plant in Muscle Shoals in the 1930s, prompted by the need for military airplanes for the war effort. After World War II, the plant shifted its focus to the production of aluminum foil (“Reynolds Wrap”) and eventually aluminum cans. The Reynolds Metals plant employed roughly 2,000 workers just before its acquisition by Wise Alloys in 1998, but that dipped down to 800 in 2007 after a series of layoffs. The plant currently employs just more than 1,000 people. Asbestos was used throughout this and other aluminum foundries because of the extreme temperatures used to melt and manipulate the material into finished products. Asbestos could be found throughout these facilities and was even sprayed directly onto walls, piping, ductwork, and other surfaces. Asbestos was used as insulation and components on machinery that required asbestos to function properly. Asbestos fibers would become airborne from work activities and be breathed in by many workers.

5. Daubert Chemical Co. Inc.

Chicago-based Daubert Chemical Co. Inc. was founded in 1935 and operates a several facilities throughout the United States, including a plant in Cullman. The company makes adhesives, corrosion prevention materials, sound dampening materials, industrial greases, and other products. While asbestos now is used in a very limited manner by U.S. companies, many of Daubert’s products historically contained asbestos, as the mineral is naturally resistant to corrosion and also has well-established heat and fire-retardant properties. Workers at the plant, as well as anyone who used their products, may have been exposed to dangerous levels of asbestos.

The skilled attorneys from MesoLawyersCare have recovered more than $10 billion dollars for people diagnosed with mesothelioma. Our firm has successfully represented workers exposed to asbestos at worksites in Alabama throughout the United States. For more information or a free consultation, fill out the form on this page, have a live chat now with one of our representatives, or call our office.

 

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Did You Know?

  • Mesothelioma Facts
    Mesothelioma Facts
    The highest award of compensatory damages ever upheld on appeal in a mesothelioma case is $30.3 million.
  • Mesothelioma Facts
    Mesothelioma Facts
    The largest punitive damages verdict ever upheld on appeal in a mesothelioma case is $18 million.
  • Mesothelioma Facts
    Mesothelioma Facts
    There are over $30 billion in asbestos trust funds to compensate victims of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.
  • Mesothelioma Facts
    Mesothelioma Facts
    There are more than 50 bankruptcy trusts accepting claims to compensate victims of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.
  • Mesothelioma Facts
    Mesothelioma Facts
    There are many “asbestos dockets” that permit living mesothelioma patients to obtain a jury verdict in less than 1 year.
  • Mesothelioma Facts
    Mesothelioma Facts
    In 2015, more than 2000 mesothelioma cases were filed in the United States.
  • Mesothelioma Facts
    Mesothelioma Facts
    In some mesothelioma cases, settlements can be obtained in less than 1 year.
  • Mesothelioma Facts
    Mesothelioma Facts
    Thousands of different companies have been defendants in mesothelioma cases over the past 40 years.
  • Mesothelioma Facts
    Mesothelioma Facts
    According to a 2015 study of 77 peritoneal mesothelioma cases, the average life expectancy (median survival period) was 75.7 months, or over 6 years.
  • Mesothelioma Facts
    Mesothelioma Facts
    According to a 2015 study of 77 peritoneal mesothelioma patients, 73.8% were living after 3 years, and 65.3% were living after 5 years.
  • Mesothelioma Facts
    Mesothelioma Facts
    According to a 2015 study of 77 peritoneal mesothelioma patients, 64% were treated with HIPEC and cytoreductive surgery.
  • Mesothelioma Facts
    Mesothelioma Facts
    According to a 2015 study of 303 pleural mesothelioma patients, the average life expectancy (median survival period) was 18.4 months.
  • Mesothelioma Facts
    Mesothelioma Facts
    According to a 2015 study of pleural mesothelioma patients, 73.1% were still living after 1 year, and 22.9% were still living after 3 years.
  • Mesothelioma Facts
    Mesothelioma Facts
    In 2015, the largest number of mesothelioma cases were filed in the following 10 courts: (1) Madison County, IL; (2) Cook County, IL; (3) St. Louis, MO; (4) Los Angeles, CA; (5) New York, NY; (6) Philadelphia, PA; (7) New Castle County, DE; (8) Middlesex County, MA; (9)Middlesex County, NJ; (10) Kanawha County, WV.
  • Mesothelioma Facts
    Mesothelioma Facts
    The states with the largest number of diagnosed mesothelioma cases are: New York, New Jersey, California, Washington, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Virginia, Florida, Texas, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio.
  • Mesothelioma Facts
    Mesothelioma Facts
    There are about 3000 mesothelioma cases diagnosed in the United States each year.
  • Mesothelioma Facts
    Mesothelioma Facts
    About 1 in 100,000 people in the United States will be diagnosed with mesothelioma each year in the United States.
  • Mesothelioma Facts
    Mesothelioma Facts
    More than 80% of all mesothelioma cases occur in the pleura (pleural mesothelioma).
  • Mesothelioma Facts
    Mesothelioma Facts
    Less than 20% of all mesothelioma cases occur in the peritoneum (peritoneal mesothelioma).
  • Mesothelioma Facts
    Mesothelioma Facts
    About 22% of all mesothelioma cases occur in women.
  • Mesothelioma Facts
    Mesothelioma Facts
    A history of asbestos exposure can be found in more than 80% of mesothelioma cases.
  • Mesothelioma Facts
    Mesothelioma Facts
    More than 30% of all mesothelioma patients in the United States were exposed to asbestos in the military.
  • Mesothelioma Facts
    Mesothelioma Facts
    Mesothelioma can be caused by laundering, or other household contact with, work clothing contaminated with asbestos.
  • Mesothelioma Facts
    Mesothelioma Facts
    Mesothelioma can be caused by work with (direct exposure) or around (bystander exposure) asbestos-containing products.
  • Mesothelioma Facts
    Mesothelioma Facts
    The average time between a person’s first exposure to asbestos and the development of mesothelioma (latency period) is more than 40 years.
 

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Watch the video below to learn why MesoLawyersCare is the best choice to represent you and your family after a mesothelioma diagnosis.


 

Contact MesoLawyersCare Now

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, please contact us to see if we can help you get the compensation you deserve from the billions of dollars in asbestos trust funds available now for qualified asbestos victims. With just one call, you can put all our experience and success to work for you.

We have represented thousands of victims of mesothelioma and their families in virtually every State in the country and in decades of work have recovered billions of dollars in financial compensation for our clients.

Call us now at 1-888-568-1177, fill out the form on this page or chat with a live person. The consultation is free and it costs nothing upfront to hire the lawyers behind MesoLawyersCare. We only get paid if you collect a settlement or verdict and you will never receive a bill from us.

 
 

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