ASBESTOS ROOFING SHINGLES

Weitz & Luxenberg blows the roof off misconceptions about asbestos shingles and their construction benefits

Weitz & Luxenberg is recognized coast to coast for obtaining record-setting multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements for asbestos-injured craftsmen who worked with roofing shingles.

ASBESTOS ROOFING SHINGLES

June 28, 2010 – Asbestos roofing shingles were widely used in residential and commercial building construction up to the mid-1970s, when laws were enacted to regulate the use of asbestos, a carcinogen. If your home was built or renovated before 1980, the shingles on your roof could very well be asbestos roofing shingles.

Asbestos roofing shingles (aka: transite roofing shingles) contained up to 30 percent toxic asbestos fibers. Roofs covered with asbestos or transite shingles, if maintained properly, will last up to 100 years, thanks to the durability asbestos offers.

Transite asbestos roofing shingles represent the most common type of asbestos roofing shingle on homes today. It was made with Portland cement and asbestos. Asbestos helped make the shingles fireproof and resistant to outdoor corrosion and rot.

Despite these convenient properties, asbestos kills. Nearly 10,000 people die from asbestos-related diseases in this country, and 90,000 die worldwide every year. Construction workers who regularly work with asbestos roofing shingles risk developing mesothelioma later in life.

Asbestos exposure from roofing shingles

Asbestos exposure occurs when employees at manufacturing plants, or roofing professionals, accidentally inhale airborne asbestos fibers that dislodge from building products, such as asbestos roofing shingles.

Fibers can become airborne during the manufacturing process at the plant. Microscopic in size, asbestos fibers can also be inhaled accidentally when workers stand over a bucket mixing powdered asbestos cement, when they cut asbestos roofing shingles to fit, or when they drill holes into the shingles for mounting.

Asbestos in roofing shingles is still a hazard

Today, though most manufacturers have sought alternative materials for roofing, original asbestos roofing shingles remain in place in many homes built before 1980. That’s why renovation or remodeling work continues to have serious health risks.

By law today, only licensed professionals can be involved in disposing old asbestos materials.

Asbestos abatement companies are now required to participate in certain renovation and remodeling projects, even at home.

Asbestos roofing shingles and legal claims

If you worked with asbestos roofing shingles in the past and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, obtain a FREE legal consultation on your eligibility to receive compensation for lost wages, medical care and suffering.

Protect your family’s financial future today and give us the facts through the questionnaire on this page. Please know, there are no obligations. There is also no cost to you to initiate an asbestos claim until we obtain a settlement or a verdict in your favor.