SAGADAHOC COUNTY,
MAINE, LAWYER
Maine has more cases of mesothelioma per capita than any other state, says an asbestos-injury lawyer with Weitz & Luxenberg

At least 471 Maine residents died of asbestosis or mesothelioma between 1979-2001, says a study by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), headquartered in Washington, D.C. The same study, says our lawyer, identifies the second worst affected county in Maine (after Cumberland County) as Sagadahoc County, where 83 deaths related to asbestos were recorded during the same period.

According to another source, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), between 2000 to 2004 only two counties in the U.S. – Sagadahoc in Maine, and Koochiching in Minnesota – had age-adjusted malignant mesothelioma death rates that exceeded the national average by 500 percent.

June 1, 2009 – The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) says Maine leads the nation in asbestos-related deaths per capita because of the state’s smaller population, its blue-collar worker-based economy, an active Maine shipyard industry, and the large number of older buildings that have been rehabbed for residential use, rather than being destroyed and replaced with modern materials.

From 1999 to 2005, the most recent period for which statistics are available, 173 Maine residents died of mesothelioma contracted by occupational asbestos exposure, says NIOSH.

Sagadahoc County, Maine

Before the NIOSH study, which covered the years 1999-2005, the EWG examined death certificate records for the period between 1979 and 2001. During that time, 471 Maine residents, including 83 Sagadahoc County residents, died from asbestosis or mesothelioma. It is worth noting that the government did not begin tracking mesothelioma as a cause of death until 1999, so these mortality figures are likely only 20 percent of the actual number of asbestos-related deaths, said the EWG report.

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.

Weitz & Luxenberg – Champion to the working class

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.