Asbestos Exposure Lawsuits | Learn Your Legal Rights | Motley Rice
Being diagnosed with an
asbestos-related disease such as mesothelioma, lung cancer or asbestosis is
overwhelming news. Unfortunately, every year thousands of people suffer from
diseases related to direct, household or bystander asbestos exposure.
Attorneys with Motley
Rice have been deeply involved in asbestos litigation for decades, with late
firm co-founder Ron Motley being recognized for his groundbreaking work in the
1970s when he uncovered and revealed the internal company documents showing
some companies’ concealment of the knowledge that asbestos was harmful. For
this and other trailblazing efforts in asbestos litigation, American Lawyer dubbed
Motley “The Man who Took on Manville.”
LATEST NEWS
Asbestos Judgment
Final: Second Circuit confirms asbestos judgment against Travelers
On Jan. 5, 2015, the
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, by denying a request for
rehearing and a rehearing en banc, confirmed that the Settlement Agreements
Travelers agreed to in 2004 were binding and enforceable contracts between the
parties, that all conditions had been satisfied, and that, in an attempt to
avoid its obligation to thousands of asbestos victims, whatever Travelers’
“private hopes and dreams were,” they
were not supported by the language of the agreement… Read More
Our attorneys are
compassionate about the incredibly difficult situation of asbestos victims and
are deeply committed to holding accountable those companies responsible for
allowing this potentially deadly exposure helping victims receive fair
compensation.
Additionally, we strive
to give our clients a voice at a time in their lives when they feel the most
vulnerable and seek improvements in workplace safety to prevent future
asbestos-related diseases from occurring.
What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a naturally
occurring mineral fiber that was once valued for its resistance to heat,
electrical and chemical damage, and was used by dozens of trades. With millions
of microscopic fibers, asbestos can easily break apart and become airborne and
possibly inhaled. Should asbestos fibers be inhaled, they may become lodged in
your lungs, potentially leading to lung cancer, mesothelioma or other
asbestos-related diseases. Additionally, because asbestos fibers travel so
easily through the air, not only the person working with asbestos-containing
products but also bystanders run the risk of inhaling these fibers and
developing an asbestos-related disease even decades after exposure.
From the early 1900s
through the 1980s, asbestos was used in thousands of different industrial
products, including pipe and furnace insulation materials, roofing shingles,
floor tiles, millboard, textured paints and other coating materials.
In 1989, the United
States banned asbestos in specific products. This ban, however, did not ban the
use of asbestos altogether. Additionally, other countries continue to mine
asbestos. As a result, asbestos can still be found in a number of consumer
products, including building materials, friction products and heat-resistant
fabrics.
Mesothelioma and Asbestos-Related Diseases
Asbestos exposure is
strongly associated with several potentially fatal illnesses, the most serious
of which is malignant mesothelioma. This aggressive cancer affects the lining
of the lungs, heart, abdomen and other organs, and, as with all
asbestos-related diseases, it often doesn’t manifest for years or even decades
after the initial exposure. Because mesothelioma, asbestos lung cancer and
other related diseases can almost always be attributed to asbestos exposure,
you should tell your doctor about any past exposure, including your work or
family history. Learn more about our cases involving mesothelioma and
asbestos-related diseases.
Contact an Asbestos Attorney
Motley Rice is prepared
to help asbestos victims and their families obtain the compensation they
deserve from companies responsible for their exposure. With approximately 70
attorneys, hundreds of support personnel and co-counsel across the country, our
attorneys have represented asbestos victims throughout the United States.
If you would like to
explore your legal rights regarding a potential asbestos exposure lawsuit,
please contact our asbestos team by email or call 1.800.768.4026.
Asbestos Exposure
Companies and
manufacturers dealing with asbestos have known for almost a century that the
inhalation of asbestos fibers is associated with mesothelioma, lung cancer,
asbestosis and several other debilitating and often fatal asbestos-related
diseases. Thousands of unsuspecting workers were exposed daily to this
dangerous carcinogen as they worked in factories, mills, railroads and other
industrial occupations, often bringing asbestos fibers home and unknowingly
exposing their family through household asbestos exposure.
For decades, asbestos
manufacturers chose profit over people’s health by continuing to manufacture,
distribute and supply asbestos-containing products. Until this harmful
carcinogen is banned once and for all, asbestos exposure, asbestos-related
diseases and mesothelioma will continue to be major national and international
health concerns.
OUR HISTORY IN ASBESTOS LITIGATION
Motley Rice lawyers
have more than three decades of experience litigating asbestos-related
lawsuits, taking on giant asbestos corporations and fighting for the rights of
mesothelioma victims and victims of asbestos cancers and other related
diseases.
Motley Rice co-founder
Ron Motley began working on asbestos cases in 1976, but it wasn’t until 1978,
when he secured the infamous “Sumner Simpson” papers demonstrating manufacturer
knowledge of the hazards of asbestos as early as the 1920’s, that the tide
began to turn against asbestos defendants.
Many firms also turn to
Motley Rice to help with their cases due to our experience and resources in
challenging asbestos- and mesothelioma-related litigation. Along with
litigating asbestos cases across the country, our attorneys also hold
leadership and liaison roles in asbestos litigation in several of the states
where our offices are located, including West Virginia, South Carolina, Rhode
Island and New York.
West Virginia Asbestos
Along with our offices
located around the country, we’re proud to have asbestos-focused attorneys
working from Morgantown, West Virginia. For more than 30 years, our attorneys
have worked closely with West Virginians who have been exposed to asbestos
through their employment at one of the many industrial plants located
throughout the state.
Our Work as Canadian Asbestos Counsel
Our attorneys have also
served as U.S. legal counsel for Canadian provincial workers’ compensation
boards since 1987, helping Canadians seek U.S. legal recoveries from
non-employer third parties who may be responsible for a Canadian employee’s
workplace-related injury.
Asbestos Exposure,
World Trade Center Dust and the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund
On Oct. 3, 2011, the
United States government reopened the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund for people
physically injured or exposed to toxins such as asbestos and other harmful dust
at the World Trade Center crash site following the terrorist attacks on
September 11, 2001. The new 9/11 VCF enables more people, including 9/11
workers and volunteers who were hurt, got sick or died as a result of the
attacks and the aftermath, to obtain compensation from the program. Learn more
about this fund and how we can help.
ASBESTOS OCCUPATIONS AND TRADES
The following
industrial occupations are traditionally associated with high levels of
asbestos exposure:
Aerospace and Missile
Production Workers
Aircraft
Manufacturing
Production Workers
Mechanics
Automobile
Brake and Clutch
Manufacturing and Assembly Workers
Manufacturing
Production Workers
Mechanics
Boilermakers
Chemical Workers
Construction/Demolition
Bricklayers
Building Engineers
Carpenters
Cement and Masonry
Workers
Demolition and Wrecking
Crews
Drywallers
HVAC Mechanics
Laborers
Plasterers
Roofers
Steelworkers and
Ironworkers
Tile/Linoleum
Installers
Welders
Custodians
Electrical/Electricians
Insulators
Lab Analysts and
Technicians
Machinists
Maritime
Coastguardsmen
Longshoremen
Merchant Mariners
Shipyard Workers
including Electricians, Insulators, Laborers, Laggers, Painters, Pipefitters,
Maintenance Workers and Welders
U.S. Navy Personnel
Plant/Mill Workers
Asbestos Textile Mill
Workers
Building Material
Products Manufacturers
Cement Plant Production
Workers
Chemical Plant Workers
Packing and Gasket
Manufacturing Plant Workers
Paper Plant and Paper
Mill Workers
Protective Clothing and
Glove Manufacturers
Refractory Products
Plant Workers
Rubber Workers,
including Tire Makers and Hose Makers
Warehouse Workers
Pipefitters
Powerhouse Workers
Railroad
Car Mechanics and
Rebuilders
Locomotive Mechanics
Maintenance Personnel
Workers
Refinery Workers
Sheetmetal Workers
Steamfitters
ASBESTOS PRODUCTS
You do not have to work
in an industrial occupation in order to receive high levels of asbestos
exposure, and using asbestos continues to be legal in the United States. The
following list of products may have asbestos in them:
acoustical products, spray and tile
adhesives and cements
asbestos rope, braiding
and wick
asbestos tape or thread
asphalt products,
including tile and sundries
automotive, truck, and
marine products, including brake linings, pads and shoes, brake blocks, clutch
materials, transmission components, gasket materials and shock absorbers
caulking compounds and
coatings
ceiling panels, tiles
and related sundries
cement products,
including cement or mortar, board, flooring, panels, pipe, flat and corrugated
sheet, siding, shingles and stucco
ceramic or paint
fillers
cigarette filters
commercial or
industrial machines and components, including brake linings, clutch facings,
thermal insulation, transmission components and gaskets
detackifying/demolding
agents
drywall joint treatment
products, including joint compound, joint cement, joint treatment, joint
sealant and caulking compounds
fireproofing products
gaskets, sheet packing
and molded products
gypsum products,
including fire retardant gypsum board, lath, finishing and taping compounds
hair dryers
insulating tape
mastics, coating and
sealing products
millboard, rollboard
and mineral wool board
oven mittens
paint products, roof
coating and floor coating
phenolic or plastic
resins
plaster and plaster
products
plumbing joint sealant
protective clothing,
often worn by firefighters and race car drivers
racing helmets
refractory products,
including clays; cements; shapes; blocks used to build, insulate, or seal
structures subjected to high heat such as boilers, furnaces and kilns
resilient
floor-covering products, including tile, sheet, backing and sundries
roofing products,
including cements, coating, felts, deckings, flashings, paints and shingles
siding
spackling compound
textured paints
thermal insulating
blankets
thermal insulating
cloth/textiles
thermal insulation
products, including pipe insulation, pipe covering, pipe wrap, cement, block
insulation, spray and sundries
Asbestos Bankruptcies
Nearly 100 asbestos
industry companies have filed for and entered bankruptcy in the past three
decades, with more than 30 trusts created through asbestos bankruptcy
reorganization in the past 10 years. The majority of the asbestos bankruptcy
plans involve a settlement trust that processes asbestos personal injury claims
and disburses compensation.
Motley Rice co-founder
Joe Rice has been instrumental in developing and negotiating structured
settlements with asbestos manufacturers emerging from bankruptcy. Through our
many years in asbestos litigation and working with asbestos trusts in
particular, we have acquired a strong understanding of the bankruptcy trust
process as well as the wide variety of jobsites and trades involved.
This historic
background gives our firm the in-depth knowledge and experience to help
asbestos victims navigate an often complicated claims system and to receive
fair, expeditious and timely recovery from bankrupt asbestos manufacturers.
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