PA FIREFIGHTERS
Penn. firefighters association endorses legislation that recognizes link between mesothelioma and asbestos exposure

Pennsylvania (PA) firefighters union supports new asbestos-mesothelioma state bill.

Weitz & Luxenberg has protected the legal rights of workers since 1986. And in that time the firm's mesothelioma lawyers have won several billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for clients injured by job-related asbestos exposure.

NEWS UPDATE: PA firefighters union

September 15, 2009 - Pennsylvania still does not recognize that PA firefighters diagnosed with an asbestos-related cancer like mesothelioma contract the illness from job-related work.

In the 31 states that do recognize cancer as an occupational illness, firefighters may collect workers’ compensation to aid in healthcare expenses and assist with wage reimbursement. Not in Pennsylvania (PA).

PA firefighters have ax to grind

The Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association (PPFFA) represents more than 10,000 professional firefighters in the state, and is working to change the current law to recognize the connection between cancer and job-related exposure to asbestos.

Asbestos, found in building construction materials and dangerous when demolished, is a toxic mineral known to cause a variety of serious health conditions that include lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma when fighting fires.

“By the nature of our business we have more of a chance of coming down with one of these cancers that can be directly related to what we do on a daily basis,” said Art Martynuska, president of The PPFFA. “Asbestos is an occupational hazard that we have to deal with,” he said.

Speaking about the new legislation his association supports: “If you are involved in the fire service and you come down with one of several types of cancer, the presumption is that you got that as a result of exposure to things on the job.”

The language of the bill adheres to the same principles other states already accept. The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has approved the bill. It now must go before the state senate.

PA firefighters know the landscape

Pennsylvania asbestos deaths. Pennsylvania is ranked the No. 4 state in the nation for asbestos-related deaths, according to a study by the EWG Action Fund, a non-profit environmental research group based in Washington, D.C.

Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are the urban centers most affected.

Pennsylvania also has five counties on the group’s list of the Top 100 counties in America recording deaths due to asbestos. They are: Philadelphia County (ranked No. 3), Delaware County (No. 13); Allegheny County (No. 16); Montgomery County (No. 17) and Lancaster County (No. 84).

Time to seek justice

Government sources estimate that in the next decade more than 35,000 people nationwide will be diagnosed with the deadliest form of asbestos-related cancer, mesothelioma.

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and seek a free case review, please notify us through the communication form on this page. We will pursue your claim with vigilance to help you pay for medical bills, lost wages, and suffering.

Because the firm works on a contingency basis, there is no cost to you until we win a settlement or a verdict.