ASBESTOS COATING

Asbestos-coating sprayers accidentally killed thousands of fellow construction workers by occupational asbestos exposure

ASBESTOS COATING

June 8, 2010 – Thermal asbestos coating was a spray-on application widely used to fireproof commercial building interiors from the 1940s through about 1980, when regulations were enacted to protect construction workers from asbestos exposure and the fatal diseases it causes.

Pleural mesothelioma is known the world over as the signature asbestos-related disease, and it is a plague on the construction industry.

Courts today recognize the liability of certain product manufacturers and employers who knew of the health hazards, but failed to provide warnings.

Asbestos claims filed by workers diagnosed with mesothelioma have obtained millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements through representation by our firm, Weitz & Luxenberg.

The dangers of asbestos coating

Asbestos coating sprayers (an occupation that is unimaginable today) were exposed to high concentrations of asbestos in the air, and fiber spillage on the floor. Every cleanup session at the end of a work day involved sweeping up a minefield of asbestos debris from work-site floors.

On-site tradesmen who had nothing to do with the spraying were also exposed to toxic airborne asbestos fibers, and many are known to have died.

These fibers can be inhaled by anyone not wearing respirators and other protective equipment, as the law requires today.

Thirty years ago asbestos coatings were commonly applied with minimum protection - often without even a paper filter mask, let alone a top-notch asbestos respirator. Even with knowledge of asbestos health hazards, employers and contractors neglected to issue protective gear as a cost-saving measure.

Asbestos coating today

Spray-on asbestos coatings that were applied in the past continue to be a danger even today, especially during maintenance operations and demolition projects which release mists of nearly invisible, but very toxic, asbestos fibers into the air.

Asbestos is no longer mined in the United States, but it is still imported and used in the construction and automotive industries. Large quantities of asbestos coating still remain in buildings and skyscrapers built before 1980.

Legal options

If you once worked in the construction industry and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may be eligible to receive compensation for medical bills, lost wages and damages.

Protect your family’s financial future today. Use the communication form here to contact an asbestos cancer attorney at Weitz & Luxenberg for a free appraisal of your case.