Many Old Firehouses Built With Asbestos, Creating Risk for Mesothelioma

In February 2008, a firehouse in Seattle, Wash. was evacuated after air-quality testing found high levels of asbestos.

The event made national news because it highlighted an important issue facing firefighters and paramedics. Government agencies indicate that an estimated 80 percent of all buildings constructed before 1978 contain asbestos materials. Add to this the fact that firehouses themselves require even more insulation than most buildings, insulation, which, in decades past, contained asbestos.

Firefighters, therefore, are at a multiple risk for exposure to the deadly carcinogen than the average person, coming in contact with it while putting out fires from burning buildings made with asbestos, and also on a daily basis in aging, decaying firehouses, whose building materials are breaking down.

Our lawyers have come across many workers who were exposed to asbestos and later suffered from deadly related diseases such as mesothelioma and lung cancer because their employers failed to take the proper precautions.

Weitz & Luxenberg P.C. is a leading plaintiffs' law firm that has represented people affected by mesothelioma for over 20 years. Men and women diagnosed with mesothelioma or lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure may be entitled to compensation from the companies responsible for their disease.

If you would like a free consultation or more information about your legal options, please complete the form on this page, and a representative of our law firm will contact you as soon as possible.