NEW YORK STATE
No. 3 state for asbestos-related mortalities

New York may be the No. 1 state in the nation for international commerce and the performing arts, but it also has the dubious distinction of being the third highest-ranking state in the country for asbestos-related mortalities.

At least 1,912 New Yorkers died from asbestos-caused mesothelioma cancer between 1979 and 2001, according to analysis of government mortality data by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a non-profit research organization headquartered in Washington, D.C.

The state’s mortality figure for this period is a low estimate because mesothelioma was not tracked by the federal government as a cause of death until 1999. The Environmental Working Group estimates that 3,374 New Yorkers actually died of mesothelioma between 1979 and 2001 -- twice that reflected by the government's incomplete statistics.

NYS asbestos center: Queens County

Long Island is where much of New York’s industry is centered. Thus, we find that Queens County in New York City is by far the most toxic region in the state, ranking nine on EWG’s list of the Top 100 counties in the nation with the greatest incidence of asbestos-related deaths. Suffolk County, also on Long Island, ranks No. 21.

Among the nation’s top 100 counties with asbestos-related deaths, Brooklyn (King’s County) ranks at No. 32; Manhattan (New York County) is No. 82; and the Bronx clocks in at No. 90. In the northern part of New York State, the region around Buffalo recorded a high concentration of asbestos cases: Erie County is ranked No. 25, and Onondaga County made the list at No. 98.

Time to seek justice!

Weitz & Luxenberg 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 below, and a representative of our law firm will contact you as soon as possible.