CUMBERLAND COUNTY,
MAINE, LAWYER
Maine has highest incidence of mesothelioma per capita, observes an asbestos-injury lawyer at Weitz & Luxenberg

Maine’s scenic New England coastline harbors a deadly health risk hidden within its Victorian clapboard buildings and century-old shipyards: malignant mesothelioma. At least 471 residents who lived and worked along Maine’s coastline died of asbestosis or mesothelioma between 1979 and 2001. The worst affected county in Maine is Cumberland County, where 102 asbestos-related deaths were recorded in that period. A lawyer affiliated with the personal injury law firm of Weitz & Luxenberg reports on the situation:

June 1, 2009 – According to the most complete government figures available on the nation’s mortality rate from asbestos-related mesothelioma, Maine leads all U.S. states in deaths per capita.

That’s because of the state’s smaller population, its blue-collar worker-based economy, active shipyard activity, and the large number of older asbestos-containing buildings that have been rehabbed for residential use, rather than being destroyed and rebuilt with safe modern materials.

This new information comes from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which analyzed state death records for 1999-2005. The report says that during this six-year period, 173 individuals in Maine died of mesothelioma. The U.S. Environmental Agency (EPA) last month approved a $6.1-million EPA asbestos cleanup grant for Maine.

Cumberland County – Maine’s worst county for asbestos fatalities

The worst affected county in Maine is Cumberland County, followed by Sagadahoc County, says the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a non-profit health organization headquartered in Washington, D.C.

The EWG examined death certificate records for 1979-2001. In that 12-year-period, 471 Maine residents died from asbestosis or mesothelioma, including 102 residents in Cumberland County. But since the government did not begin tracking mesothelioma as a cause of death until 1999, these figures likely represent only 20 percent of the actual numbers, said the authors of the EWG study.

What is mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is the deadliest of all asbestos-related cancers. The disease has no known cure, and most patients die within a year to 18 months after diagnosis. The latency period between exposure and diagnosis is commonly 20 to 40 years, though it can be longer. Most deaths from mesothelioma derive from asbestos exposure decades ago.

The construction industry accounts for 15 percent of mesothelioma deaths, say health authorities. Other industries with a high rate of mesothelioma include: ship building and repair, chemical manufacturing, petroleum refining, and the utility industry. Trades or occupations most at risk include: pipe fitters, steamfitters, plumbers, mechanical engineers, electricians and elementary school teachers.

Cumberland County asbestos lawyer

The personal injury law firm of Weitz & Luxenberg has championed the rights of workers for nearly a quarter century. And in that time the firm's mesothelioma lawyers have obtained more than a billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for clients injured by asbestos.

If you have been diagnosed with an occupational asbestos disease, like asbestosis or mesothelioma, and seek a free consultation about your right to financial compensation, please notify us through the communication form on this page. We will pursue your claim with vigilance. Because we work on a contingency basis, there is no cost to you at all until we win a settlement or verdict.