DANGEROUS OCCUPATIONS
Public utility workers risk mesothelioma from asbestos

January 12, 2009 - Public utility workers are among those workers in occupations that have a high risk of asbestos exposure. Whether they work in a light, electrical power, or water utility plant, utility workers are at a high risk for asbestos-related diseases.

From the 1940s through the 1970s, and to a lesser extent up to the present, asbestos was commonly used as an insulator for electrical wiring. Anytime asbestos is used in a utility plant’s electrical system, a utility worker will come in contact with it. Most utility workers came in contact with asbestos occasionally, and some had nearly constant exposure to asbestos.

The reason asbestos was frequently used as an insulator in public utility plants is because it is lightweight but strong, and has extremely high insulating properties against sound, heat, and electricity. It is also completely fire-resistant. As a result, it was easy to work with and performed its intended purpose very well. Unfortunately asbestos has a negative side. Asbestos causes cancers, and asbestos-related cancer kills thousands of people every year!

The awful truth about asbestos

Despite the potentially fatal health consequences 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. This disease is most often the result of industrial workplace exposure to asbestos – and usually contracted through employers’ blatant disregard for the health and safety of their workers.

Time to seek justice!

That’s why people diagnosed with mesothelioma and their family members have strong cases in court. Weitz & Luxenberg has protected the legal rights of workers for 25 years – longer than most law firms in the nation. And in that time the firm's mesothelioma lawyers have won several billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for clients.

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, and seek FREE legal guidance and answers to your concerns, please notify us through the communication form below. We will pursue your claim with vigilance to help you pay for medical bills, future and past lost wages, and damages. There is no cost to you until we win a settlement or a verdict.