SEATTLE ASBESTOS
Seattle, Washington: A hotbed for asbestos-related deaths

Independent report cites Seattle, Wash. as one of the nation’s worst urban centers for deaths related to asbestos exposure.

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.

Seattle: Asbestos center of the Northwest.

September 4, 2009 – Washington state is ranked No. 8 out of all states in the country for deaths due to exposure to asbestos, according to a report issued by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a nonprofit research organization headquartered in Washington D.C.

The EWG examined Washington state death certificate records for individuals who died from two signature asbestos diseases, mesothelioma and asbestosis, between 1979 and 2001, and reports the urban area around Seattle (King County) to be the worst.

California, Florida and New York

Three urban centers that exceed Seattle for asbestos-related deaths are: Los Angeles, California; Broward County (Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and Queens and Suffolk Counties (Long Island) New York.

Seattle asbestos

In the state of Washington, at least 2,311 people died from asbestos-related diseases during the 12-year period of the study. But this figure likely represents less than 20 percent of total asbestos mortalities during that time.

According to the report, this is in part due to under-diagnosis of asbestos diseases, but in greater measure because mesothelioma, the deadliest of asbestos-related cancers, was not tracked by the federal government as a cause of death until 1999.

Washington state also claims four of the top 50 counties in the United States for asbestos-linked deaths. Seattle’s King Country ranks No. 1 in the state, and No. 4 in the nation for deaths related to occupational asbestos exposure.

Background on Seattle asbestos

Asbestos is used for its ability to insulate against heat and friction. It can currently be found in more than 3,000 items sold nationwide, including brake shoes, insulation and tiles.

More than 30 million pounds of asbestos are imported into the United States each year, according to federal records.

Government sources estimate that in the next decade more than 35,000 people nationwide will be diagnosed with mesothelioma.

Asbestos disease warrants compensation

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and seek a free case review to determine your eligibility to receive financial compensation for your health condition, please notify us through the communication form at left.

We will pursue your claim with vigilance to help you pay for medical bills, lost wages, and suffering. Please know, the firm works on a contingency basis so there is no cost to you until we obtain a settlement or a verdict in your favor.