New Jersey: Sixth Most Deadly State for Asbestos-Related Mortalities

New Jersey has many counties within its borders that recorded asbestos-related deaths between 1979 and 2001. The state is ranked No. 6 in the country for fatalities stemming from asbestos exposure.

At least 2,775 people in New Jersey were killed by asbestos during this 22-year period. Government sources estimate the figure could be as high as 3,505.

On the government’s list of the Top 100 counties in the nation showing deaths due to asbestos, New Jersey contains 12, a figure of concern for any state, and matched only by California and Florida. These state counties are: Camden (ranked No. 6 in the nation), Somerset (No. 7); Middlesex (No. 36), Bergen (No. 37), Gloucester (No. 50), Ocean (No. 51), Burlington (No. 59), Union (No. 60), Hudson (No. 72), Monmouth (No. 77), Essex (No. 95) and Passaic (No. 96).

Mesothelioma is the most serious form of asbestos cancers, affecting the lining of the lungs and often leading to death within months of being diagnosed. In New Jersey, at least 1,045 persons died of mesothelioma between 1979 and 2001, but that figure could be as high as 1,775, say government sources.

The disease has a 20- to 50-year latency period, which means that industrial workers exposed to asbestos in the 1960s and 1970s are just now being diagnosed positive. Shipyard workers, construction workers, auto mechanics and military veterans are at the greatest risk for asbestos poisoning, as these are the occupations in which asbestos use has been most prevalent.

The government estimates that in the next decade more than 35,000 people nationwide will be diagnosed with mesothelioma, most often the result of industrial workplace exposure to asbestos – and usually contracted through employers’ blatant disregard for health and safety.

That’s why victims diagnosed with mesothelioma – and their families – have strong cases in court against their former employers. If you have a mesothelioma injury, contact Weitz & Luxenberg for a complete free evaluation of your legal rights. Litigating asbestos-related health injuries is the firm’s strongest practice area.