MESOTHELIOMA DEATH

Mesothelioma death rate has been rising since 1999, according to government health agencies

October 29, 2010 – Nearly every malignant mesothelioma death is the result of occupational asbestos exposure, which is preventable when employers invest in creating safe worksite environments for their employees. That is not always the case, though.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the mesothelioma death rate in the United States from 1999 through 2005 totaled 18,068 people. The U.S. mesothelioma death rate increased from 2,482 deaths in 1999 to 2,704 in 2005, an increase of 222 deaths.

Statistic like these make it small wonder why so many workers diagnosed with mesothelioma decide to file asbestos claims against the responsible parties. Significant compensations have resulted for the injured parties’ surviving family members, many of whom lose their chief breadwinners through a mesothelioma death.

Mesothelioma death rate

Further analysis from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) indicates that the mesothelioma death rate in the United States is 14 deaths per million people.

NIOSH notes that six states have mesothelioma death rates greater than 20 deaths per million: Maine, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington, Wyoming and West Virginia.

Asbestos is no longer mined in the United States, but it is still imported and used in construction and automotive products. The United States is one of the few industrialized nations that has not issued a total ban on asbestos, a cancer-causing material once used extensively in many industries for its stalwart resistance to fire, temperature changes and corrosion.

Every year asbestos causes the death of some 90,000 individuals worldwide and 10,000 nationally through the diseases it spawns: mesothelioma, asbestosis and asbestos-linked lung cancer.

Individuals who served in the U.S. Navy or naval personal who worked in ship boiler rooms make up a large percentage of individuals diagnosed with mesothelioma.

Other workers susceptible to mesothelioma death through occupational asbestos exposure are miners, oil refinery workers, shipyard workers, carpenters, plumbers, boiler room technicians construction and demolition workers, automobile brake/clutch repair professionals, and HVAC technicians.

Weitz & Luxenberg, NYC’s mesothelioma lawyers

Weitz & Luxenberg specializes in providing mesothelioma legal support. It’s many successes have helped the firm grow into the largest mass tort plaintiffs’ law firm in New York, with a pharmaceutical division that handles 20 different drug and medical device litigations and an environmental unit that represents communities across the nation harmed by toxic industrial emissions.

If you worked professionally with asbestos-based products at any time in your career and have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, you may be eligible for significant financial compensation under the law. For a free case review, please use the communication form on this page and a representative from our firm will be in touch shortly.