ASBESTOS IN THE WEST
Asbestos delays staff move to Phoenix, Arizona, courthouse

Asbestos removal project complicates courthouse staff move to Phoenix, Arizona.

Weitz & Luxenberg has protected the legal rights of asbestos-injured 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 occupational asbestos exposure. If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, get information here on a mesothelioma lawsuit.

Asbestos in the News

December 18, 2009 - Criminal judges assigned to Mesa, Arizona, were scheduled to move to Phoenix this month as part of a Maricopa County Superior Court reorganization. But asbestos problems in the 44-year-old downtown Phoenix court complex are complicating the move and may force half of the County Attorney's Office staff to stay behind.

"There's an extra delay because of the asbestos," said Sally Wells, chief assistant county attorney. “The move probably won't be completed until August.”

While 30 prosecutors and staff members move from Mesa to Phoenix, an additional 37 will stay in Mesa and commute to court proceedings when required.

The asbestos problem in the west court building, at 111 W. Jefferson St., required the county to hire a contractor for $500,000 to remove the toxic material from the second, third and fourth floors.

Inhaling airborne asbestos fibers can cause serious asbestos-related diseases, including lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma.

A court spokesperson said all federal environmental regulations for the safe removal of asbestos will be followed.

Past mistakes are likely to encourage strict adherence to federal environmental regulations.

Last October, the county's Air Quality Board fined the Facilities Management Department and two contractors more than $46,000 for not obtaining an asbestos-removal permit and for not following asbestos-disposal regulations during an unrelated project in the east court building at 101 W. Jefferson St.

The violations in the east court building occurred when workers removed carpeting that was glued to a tile floor with adhesive containing asbestos, said a supervisor in the Facilities Management Department. When the mistake was discovered, "We shut it down and called Environmental Services ourselves," he said.

The truth about asbestos

Despite the fatal diseases associated with asbestos exposure, 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, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Government 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.

Mesothelioma is most often the result of asbestos exposure on jobs – and usually contracted through employers’ preference for quick profits over the expense of maintaining workplace health safety.

Time to seek justice

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and seek a free case review, please notify us through the communication form on this page. 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 verdict or reach a settlement in your favor.