BROOKLYN, NEW YORK
NYC legislators update asbestos removal regulations

In an effort to protect firefighters, legislators pass new asbestos regulations prohibiting simultaneous demolition and asbestos removal projects in Brooklyn buildings.

The personal injury law firm of 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.

Brooklyn asbestos regulations

December 28, 2009 - In Brooklyn, New York, city council members have passed a new piece of asbestos legislation, the last in a 12-part series of bills to overhaul the regulations regarding asbestos removal during construction and demolition.

This latest piece of legislation prohibits simultaneous demolition and asbestos abatement activities in Brooklyn’s buildings, and will take effect in 180 days.

“Taken together, these 12 measures represent a significant overhaul of the city’s demolition and asbestos abatement procedures,” said Council Speaker Christine Quinn.

“Working together with the administration and the construction industry, we will continue to raise the standard for construction safety across our ever-growing city in the most responsible and vigilant way possible,” said Quinn.

The bill was passed in an effort to protect firefighters. In 2007, a fire at Deutsche Bank killed two New York City firefighters who were trapped in the building, which was undergoing both abatement and preparations for demolition.

“This law was generated from expert testimony at hearings of the Council’s Lower Manhattan Redevelopment Committee, proving once again that the legislative branch of government has a role to play in making sure that livability and safety come first in the rebuilding of downtown,” said Council Member Alan J. Gerson, the bill’s sponsor. “In fact, the whole city gains from our experience.”

Brooklyn asbestos regulations

Exposure to asbestos is linked to mesothelioma, the deadliest form of asbestos-related cancer. Government sources estimate that in the next decade more than 35,000 people nationwide will be diagnosed with 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 from a Brooklyn asbestos lawyer, please notify Weitz & Luxenberg 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.