ASBESTOS IN SCHOOLS
Virginia high school students return to classes after asbestos scare

January 13, 2009 – Students at Crestwood Middle School in Chesapeake, Virginia, returned to classes this week after health experts said they were exposed to elevated levels of asbestos for nearly two days. The school was closed last week and the danger was reportedly eliminated.

Contractors revealed asbestos-covered pipes on Dec. 29, while students were on winter break. They returned to school last Monday. On Tuesday, the school system received the results of air-quality tests taken opening day. One of six tests showed high levels of asbestos. Students were kept home from school and returned this week, when conditions were deemed safe.

Why is asbestos dangerous?

Asbestos was a popular building material between the 1940s and 1970s, and is especially common in older school buildings. If the material lies undisturbed, it is relatively harmless, according to the EPA. When it's disturbed, fibers get into the air and can be inhaled. Inhalation of asbestos fibers can lead to lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma.

Despite the potentially fatal health consequences associated with asbestos inhalation, asbestos is still imported and used in the United States for its insulation properties. The United States imported and used an estimated 1,820 tons of asbestos in 2007.

Medical 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. This disease is most often the result of industrial workplace exposure to asbestos – and usually contracted through employers’ blatant disregard for the health and safety of their workers.

Time to seek justice!

That’s why people diagnosed with mesothelioma and their family members have strong cases in court. Weitz & Luxenberg has protected the legal rights of workers for 25 years – longer than most law firms in the nation. And in that time the firm's mesothelioma lawyers have won several billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for clients.

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, and seek FREE legal guidance and answers to your concerns, please notify us through the communication form below. We will pursue your claim with vigilance to help you pay for medical bills, future and past lost wages, and damages. Best of all, there is no cost to you until we win a settlement or a verdict.