COMMUNITY EXPOSURE
Second-hand dangers of asbestos-vermiculite fibers

It is still quite possible for people in the community who did not work in the vermiculite plant to experience second-hand asbestos exposure.

These exposures include: possible inhalation of fibers brought home on workers’ clothing, or when waste piles are disturbed by children or adults.

Nearby neighbors were also at risk of inhalation exposure from stack emissions and fugitive dust released into the air from the plant, although initial modeling performed by the Oregon DEQ indicate that conditions likely kept fibers from traveling to neighborhoods.

Former workers have indicated that waste material may have been brought to homes for gardening, paving driveways, and as fill material in residential yards or driveways.

This use of waste materials placed community members at risk for exposure due to inhalations of the dust associated with these materials.

Time to seek justice!

Despite the serious health problems linked to asbestos exposure, asbestos is still imported and used in the United States. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. imported and used an estimated 1,820 tons of asbestos in 2007.

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.

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 its attorneys have won several billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for its clients.

If you have a mesothelioma injury, please complete the form on this page for a free evaluation of your legal rights. There is no cost to you until we win a settlement or a verdict.