ASBESTOS NEWS UPDATE
Washington: Eighth highest-ranking state in the nation for asbestos-related deaths

Washington ranked No. 8 for asbestos-related deaths

The first-ever analysis of federal mortality records finds that 10,000 Americans die each year from asbestos exposure, and projects that up to 10 times that many will die in the next decade, according to a study by the EWG Action Fund, a non-profit environmental research group based in Washington, D.C.

The study details for the first time the death toll in each state and county nationwide for the period between 1979 and 2001.

Washington, No. 8 asbestos state

Washington state has the eighth highest rate of asbestos-related deaths of all states in the country, according to statistics recorded between 1979 and 2001.

At least 1,730 people in Washington were killed by asbestos poisoning during this 22-year period. The figure could be as high as 2,311, say government sources.

Seattle, and four surrounding counties, recorded the most incidences of asbestos-related deaths. In fact, all four counties bordering Seattle are on the government’s list of the Top 100 counties in the country reporting fatalities from asbestos. They are: King County (ranked No. 4 in the nation), Kitsap County (No. 24), Pierce County (No. 28) and Snohomish County (No. 52).

Mesothelioma is the most serious form of asbestos cancers, affecting the lining of the lungs and often leading to death within months of being diagnosed. In the state of Washington, at least 806 persons died of mesothelioma between 1979 and 2001, but that figure could be as high as 1,387, say health experts.

Seattle, an asbestos center

In Seattle and the area around it (specifically the four counties cited above), at least 498 persons died from mesothelioma – a low estimate, says the EWG study, which suggested the figure was closer to 865. That means more than half of the mesothelioma deaths in Washington between 1979 and 2001 were clustered around Seattle.

Mesothelioma has a 20- to 50-year latency period, meaning that industrial workers exposed to asbestos in the 1960s and 1970s are just now being diagnosed positive. Shipyard workers, construction workers, auto mechanics and military veterans are at the greatest risk for asbestos poisoning, as these are the occupations in which asbestos use has been most prevalent.

Time to seek justice!

The study projects that in the next decade 35,000 people nationwide will be diagnosed with the deadliest form of asbestos-related cancer, mesothelioma. In the United States, mesothelioma accounts for about one quarter of all asbestos fatalities. This disease is most often the result of industrial workplace exposure to asbestos – and is usually contracted through employers’ blatant disregard for health and safety.

That’s why people diagnosed with mesothelioma and surviving family members have strong cases in court. If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, please complete the form on this page for a free evaluation of your legal rights. There is no cost to you until we win a settlement or a verdict.

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see also:

Pennsylvania, No. 4 Pennsylvania is No. 4 state in the nation for asbestos-related deaths
Study names Pennsylvania counties with a high rate of asbestos deaths

New York, No. 3 New York is the No. 3 state in the nation for mesothelioma deaths
Law firm cites New York counties that have high rate of mesothelioma

The Big Eight Asbestos States Eight states report half of all US asbestos deaths; mortality study
Asbestos mortality study reveals death toll in each state and county