Mesothelioma is a sudden and devastating form of cancer caused by asbestos exposure. This terminal disease occurs unexpectedly usually 20 to 40 or more years after asbestos exposure. Anyone can be exposed from everyday locations, such as homes, workplaces, schools, and even by direct contact with someone who has asbestos dust contamination on their clothes. Wives and children of workers that were exposed to asbestos have also been shown to be at risk of this disease as a result of personal exposure to asbestos dust on their loved one’s clothing. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), there is no evidence of any asbestos exposure level that is considered safe. In conclusion, there is not a certain level of exposure that can decrease your chance of developing the disease. All levels will may lead to this unfortunate disease. If you or a loved one has been exposed to asbestos and are experiencing symptoms, seek out a mesothelioma experienced physician as soon as possible in order to receive proper treatment. If diagnosis is early you will have access to a wider array of treatment opportunities with more promising results. Additional information and statistics about mesothelioma can be found within this section.
Boilermaker: A boilermaker is a trained craftsman who produces steel fabrications from plates and tubes. The name originated from craftsmen who would fabricate boilers, but they may work on projects as diverse as bridges to blast furnaces to the construction of mining equipment.
Iron Worker: An Iron Worker is the US term for a tradesman (man or woman) who works in the ironworking industry. A structural Iron Worker, erects (or even dismantles) the structural steel framework of pre-engineered metal buildings, single and multi-story buildings, stadiums, arenas, hospitals, towers, wind turbines, and bridges.
Pipefitter: A Pipefitter is a tradesperson who installs, assembles, fabricates, maintains and repairs mechanical piping systems. Pipefitters usually begin as helpers or apprentices.
Commercial Plasterer: A plasterer is a tradesman who works with plaster, such as forming a layer of plaster on an interior wall or plaster decorative moldings on ceilings or walls. The process of creating plasterwork, called plastering, has been used in building construction for centuries.
Refinery Worker: A Refinery Worker is a staff member at a production facility (Refinery) composed of a group of chemical engineering unit processes and unit operations refining certain materials or converting raw material into products of value.
Construction Worker: A Construction Worker is a tradesperson, labourer (by tradition considered an unskilled tradesperson), or professional employed in the physical construction of the built environment and its infrastructure.
Spray Insulator: A Spray Insulator is a tradesperson or professional employed in the application of spray on insulation of structures.
Pipe Coverer: A Pipe Coverer is a tradesperson or professional employed in the application of pipe covers.
Shipyard Worker: A Shipyard Worker is a tradesperson or professional that built and maintained ships designed for military and civilian use, ranging from aircraft carriers in the U.S. Navy to luxury liners in the cruise industry.
Carpenter: A Carpenter is a tradesperson or professional employed in the application of Carpentry. The primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. Carpenters traditionally worked with natural wood and did the rougher work such as framing.
Industrial Laborer: A Industrial Laborer is a person who works in one of the construction trades, traditionally considered most reliable manual labor Laborers are also employed outside of the construction industry, in fields such as road paving, building construction, bridges tunnels etc. laborers have all blasting, hand tools, power tools, air tools, and small heavy equipment, and act as assistants to other trades as well.
Electrician: A Electrician is a tradesperson specializing in electrical wiring of buildings, stationary machines, and related equipment.
Mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, and other cancers caused by exposure to asbestos are naturally more common in certain industries, certain occupations, and even certain locations. When you’ve been helping the thousands of people injured by asbestos that Goldberg, Persky & White P.C. has, for as long as we have, the number of industries, job sites, and companies with which you’re familiar grows quite big. This familiarity is a very helpful thing for those who subsequently get mesothelioma or asbestos lung cancer, because asbestos claims are complex. A single case on behalf of one injured person can involve more than 5,000 documents. People change jobs, workplaces, move across state, or out of state altogether. Piecing together all the places a person worked, the occupations they held, and products they worked each step of the way with is crucial to identifying their asbestos exposure history.
Despite the fact that mesothelioma’s only known cause is asbestos exposure, the burden of proof is placed on the injured party. Where you worked, what products and materials you worked with, and how you were exposed are all up to the plaintiff to prove. Lung cancer and other asbestos-caused cancer cases are that much more challenging. Decades may have passed between your exposure and diagnosis, yet you’re being asked to remember seemingly insignificant details of your employment history. What color were the bags of insulating material you used? Where in the plant did you spend most of your time? Who remembers you working in that department?
We can assist you with your Michigan asbestos claim. Over the past three decades GPW has accumulated thousands of corporate documentation, a vast knowledge of asbestos products, hundreds of depositions, and an extensive knowledge of job sites throughout Michigan. For a client who couldn’t recall anything beyond the green design on the bag of asbestos material that were delivered to his plant, we were able to locate a picture of the bag and shipping invoices indicating their delivery to the worksite.
To help you understand just a small portion of the information and resources we have accumulated from the thousands of Michigan asbestos claims we’ve filed, we’ve listed many of the Michigan job sites our past and current clients worked at on these pages. You can view a list of companies that have established asbestos bankruptcy trusts. Whether you worked at one or many of these companies, or none at all, we can help you protect your rights against manufacturers who produced, sold, and used asbestos products with little regard for the health and safety of millions of workers and their families. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you and your loved ones with your Michigan asbestos claim.
Mesothelioma is a deadly cancer with only one known cause: asbestos. Michigan ranks 9th in the nation for mesothelioma deaths. One thousand one hundred and thirty-two of the 29,804 people who died from mesothelioma between 1999 and 2010 were Michigan residents. Workers inhaling or injesting asbestos dust was the first step the fibers took in the development of mesothelioma. Arriving in the lungs or abdomen, the fine, needle-like fibers work their way to the thin membrane that lines these organs, the mesothelium. For many Michigan workers the simple act of eating lunch surrounded by the asbestos products they were cutting and sanding was an every day occurance.