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Exposed to Asbestos in Hawaii?

In Hawaii, in almost every building constructed prior to 1980, including public buildings and military bases, the use of asbestos-containing products was the norm.

How and Where Were You Exposed to Asbestos in Hawaii?

People working in the marine industry were at a high risk of developing an asbestos-related disease because, before the 1980s, asbestos was widely used in the construction of ships, boats, and submarines. Pearl Harbor is an important naval base where vessel repair and overhauling were significant operations. At Pearl Harbor, overhaul work was done in small spaces with poor air ventilation.

Aiea

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Aiea

113 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

• California and Hawaiian Sugar Company
• Honolulu Plantation Company

Hana

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Hana

9 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

• Kaeleku Sugar Company
• Reciprocity Sugar Company

Hawaii

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Hawaii

423 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

• Erra Plantation
• Ewa Sugar Mill
• Hilo Electric Light Company
• Kanoehe Rauch Company
• Kohala Sugar Company
• W.A. Ramsay, Ltd.
• Waialua Plantation

Hilo

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Hilo

105 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

• C and C, Inc.
• Hawaii Electric Light Company
• Hawaiian Agricultural Company
• Hawaiian Can Products
• Hawaiian Electric Light Company
• Hilo Coast Processing Company Ltd
• Hilo Electric Company
• Hilo Electric Light Company
• Hilo Electric Power and Refrigerator Company
• Hilo Sugar Company
• Laupahoehoe Sugar Company
• Olaa Sugar Company
• Paauhau Sugar Plantation Company
• Pepeeko Sugar Company
• Waiakea Mill
• Waiakea Steam Plant
• Yamada Transfer

Honolulu

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Honolulu

105 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

• Alexander Baldwin
• Alexander Young
• Aloha State Sales Company
• American Factors Ltd
• American Sanitary Laundry Company
• Assoc Mason Ltd
• Bechtel Power
• C. Brewer and Company
• California Packing Corporation
• Castle and Cooke Ltd
• Craig & Company
• Dole Company
• Electric Automobile Company
• Ewa Plantation Company
• Gear Lansing and Company
• Grumman Ecosystems
• H. Hackfeld and Company
• H.R. Worthington
• Hakalau Plantation Company
• Hawaiian Agricultural Company
• Hawaiian Electric Company
• Hawaiian Equipment Company
• Hawaiian Laundry and Linen Supply Company
• Hawaiian Pineapple Company
• Hawaiian Telephone Annex
• Hawaiian Tuna Packers Ltd
• Hawaiian Agricultural Company
• Henry R. Worthington
• Hilo Dry Wall Company, Inc.
• Honokaa Sugar Company
• Honolulu Brewing Malting Company, Ltd
• Honolulu Gas Company
• Honolulu Iron Works Company
• Honolulu Laundry Company
• Honolulu Planing Mill
• Honolulu Plantation Company
• Honolulu Rapid Transit and Land Company
• Honolulu Shipyard
• Honolulu Water Works
• Hutchinson Sugar Plantation Company
• Kahe Iv Power Plant
• Kahuki Plantation Company
• Kalihi Pumping Station
• Kilauea Sugar Plantation Company
• Kohala Sugar Company
• La Haina Plantation
• Laie Plantation
• Lambert Cole & Company
• Laupahoehoe Sugar Company
• Lewers & Cooke
• Libby, Mcneil & Libby
• Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company of America
• Maston Container Station
• Mcbryde Sugar Company
• Nuuanu Memorial Park Mortuary Ltd
• Oahu Ice and Electric Company
• Oahu Sugar Company
• Onemea Sugar Company
• Owens-Corning
• Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard
• Pioneer Mill Company
• R B. Davis
• Schofield Barracks
• Standard American Dredging Company
• Sugar Mills & Agric
• Troy Laundry Machinery Company Ltd
• Von Hamm Young Company
• W.A. Ramsey Ltd.
• Waiahole Water Company
• Waialua Agricultural Company Ltd.
• Waialua Sugar Mill
• Waiau Power Plant
• Waimanalo Sugar Company
• Waimea Sugar Company

Kapolei

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Kapolei

113 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

• Chevron Hawaii
• Tesoro Hawaii

Kauai

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Kauai

16 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

• Grove Farm
• Kauai Electric Company, Ltd.
• Kekaha Sugar Company

Keaau

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Keaau

105 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

• Puna Sugar Company, Ltd

Kekaha

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Kekaha

16 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

• Kekaha Sugar Company, Ltd

Lahaina

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Lahaina

9 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

• H Hackfield and Company
• Pioneer Mill Company Ltd

Maui

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Maui

9 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

• Alexander and Baldwin
• Hawaiian Comm. and Sugar Company
• Maui Electric Company

Molokai

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Molokai

9 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

• American Sugar Company
• H R Worthington

Nanakuli

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Nanakuli

105 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

• Hawaiian Electric Company
• Kaiser Cement & Gypsum

Nanakuli Honolulu Lahaina Maui Hana Hilo Keaau Kauai Aiea Hawaii Kapolei Kekaha

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Nanakuli

105 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Honolulu

105 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Molokai

9 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Lahaina

9 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Maui

9 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Hana

9 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Hilo

105 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Keaau

105 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Kauai

16 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Aiea

113 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Hawaii

423 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Kapolei

113 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Kekaha

16 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

Mesothelioma & Lung Cancer
Statute of Limitations in Hawaii

If you or your family members have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or lung cancer, you can file an asbestos claim against the company responsible for your occupational asbestos exposure. But, an asbestos claim should be filed within the period specified by the State law, called the statute of limitations. In Hawaii, the statute of limitations for asbestos claims is two years from the day you have been diagnosed with the disease.

In case a person passes away before claiming compensation, a family member can file a wrongful death asbestos claim, but within two years from the death of their loved one. In both these situations, the time available to collect evidence and file a request is very brief; therefore, patients and their families need to contact an asbestos attorney as soon as possible. Failure to act before the expiry of the statute of limitations may result in the loss of the right to claim the compensation you and your family deserve.

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Mesothelioma & Lung Cancer
Legal Representation in Hawaii

If you were a worker exposed to asbestos in the 1960s-1980s, the peak period of asbestos use, your current health problems could be asbestos-related, as asbestos has a long latency period. Occupations associated with asbestos exposure during the 1960s-1980s were mining and milling of raw asbestos, construction, product manufacture, use of end products. Sharing the workspace where others handled asbestos could have also been a cause of asbestos exposure.

If you have been affected by asbestos exposure in the workplace in Hawaii, you can claim compensation for damages, but you need to prove occupational asbestos exposure has led to functional impairment. You must produce objective proof of your physical disability, given by a qualified doctor.

According to the Hawaii Supreme Court, almost every person with pleural thickening, pleural plaques, and lung scars may lead a normal life without chronic impairment and pain.

Occupations Frequently Exposed to Asbestos

Veterans who served in the 1940s-1980s are, also, at high risk of developing health problems from asbestos because many military occupations entailed asbestos exposure. Veterans eligible for benefits are not only the ones that served in the main five branches (air force, army, coast guard, marines, navy) but also those who served in other uniformed services: national oceanic and atmospheric administration, U.S. environmental services administration, U.S. public health service.

Asbestos Exposure & Veterans

Sick Family Members
Secondary Asbestos Exposure

Perhaps the most frightening aspect of asbestos exposure is that you didn't have to work with asbestos or in an asbestos processing plant to inhale airborne fibers. In the past, asbestos workers and veterans went home carrying asbestos dust on their clothes, because of a lack of proper industrial hygiene. The families were then exposed via inhalation of asbestos dust. Asbestos secondary exposure can be the source of potential asbestos-related diseases. Our legal system offers workers, veterans, and family members the option to file asbestos claims. If your significant other or anyone else in the family has worked with asbestos and subsequently you got cancer or an asbestosis diagnosis, you are entitled to get fair and adequate monetary compensation.

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Monetary Compensation
For Asbestos Exposure Victims

The attorneys at Environmental Litigation Group, P.C. can help you file an asbestos claim and recover compensation for:

  • Medical expenses
  • Future medical bills
  • The cost of continued medical care
  • Pain and suffering
  • Physical impairment (past and future)
  • Loss of spousal support & companionship
  • Loss of consortium
  • Lost wages (past and future)
  • Loss of earning capacity damages
  • Travel costs for medical treatments
  • Costs of daily living help
  • Health insurance premiums
  • Alternative therapies
  • Ability to support dependents
  • End of life cost damages
  • Funeral expenses

Surviving family members can recover compensation for:

  • Wrongful death claims
  • Loss of parental care
  • Punitive damages (gross negligence damages)
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Eligible Conditions for Asbestos Compensation

Workers, veterans, or family members that experienced past asbestos exposure may first notice some minor symptoms, like shortness of breath. They may attribute such symptoms to other causes, like aging. But, the result of medical checks and investigations can show past asbestos exposure in the workplace has led to a current asbestos-associated disease. If you find yourself in this scenario, the help of counsel experienced in representing asbestos cases is essential. Our lawyers will assist you in navigating the legal system and fighting for compensation for your medical bills and lost wages. These are the asbestos diseases approved for asbestos claims:

Lung Cancer Asbestosis Mesothelioma Throat Cancer Esophageal Cancer Gastrointestinal Cancer Colorectal Cancer COPD Pleural Plaques Pulmonary Fibrosis Diffuse Pleural Thickening

Filing an Asbestos Claim in Hawaii

Current and former residents of Hawaii diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, and their family members should contact us as soon as possible. The statutes of limitations are only two years from the date of the diagnosis (for personal injury claims) and the time of death (for wrongful death claims). In 90% of the cases, we file asbestos trust fund claims rather than going through a lawsuit. Our experienced attorneys will help you with the steps involved in the asbestos claim process.

Bankruptcy trust claims

Asbestos trust funds were set up years ago to pay people that are sick and have been injured by asbestos. However, as asbestos trust funds do not have enough money to pay all asbestos claims fully, they offer a set percentage of the legal demand. But, the funds are typically dispersed faster than in lawsuits. Asbestos trust fund claims are usually handled out of court.

Preparing the claim

The quicker we can get the information from you and get it filed with the asbestos trust funds, the quicker the payment will come. In the beginning, we are on a fact-finding mission, but it's not as intensive as a typical lawsuit would be. It's more of an administrative process.

Gathering the information

Initially what is required from the asbestos trust fund is to prove occupational exposure to that particular's asbestos trust fund product or products and you also have to show that you've been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease. First, we will qualify the medical reports. Then, we have to prove how you were exposed: primarily through occupation or secondarily through a family member that you lived with and who worked directly with or around asbestos-containing products. For occupational exposure, you have to tell us where you have worked at and inform us about any products that were in your working environment.

Filing your claim

We make the process simple, and we don't put anything other than the actual necessity on you to provide certain documentation to prosecute your asbestos claim, such as medical records from your treating hospital or physician, employment records, social security records from the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and, if applicable, military records. As soon as we get the necessary information, we can start filing that with the asbestos trust funds and expect payment within a couple of months to one year. We will also report to Medicare to obtain a clearance to release funds to you.

Claim evaluation

Asbestos trust funds usually qualify the asbestos claim and pay it under two processes. "Expedited Review" is based on a minimum set of probable medical and asbestos exposure criteria and applications receive a schedule amount that is not negotiated. "Individual Review" allows for asbestos claim amounts up to a published maximum. Factors that determine the actual amount can include but are not limited to, age at diagnosis, jurisdiction, and the settlement history of your counsel.

Claim payment

Trustees make a determination and decide whether they will or won't pay the asbestos claim. Usually, payment comes within a couple of months to one year, and we can set up a stream of revenue for our clients. You will receive your compensation in one installment.

At Environmental Litigation Group, P.C., we strive to get you the best asbestos claim results possible. To pay out asbestos claims, asbestos trust funds managers rely on something called case valuation matrix. Case valuation matrix is a document approximating historical settlements values and assigning different values for compensable cancer types. The base dollar amounts vary by state or region because location sets occupational asbestos exposure levels. The table below provides the average settlement values, by disease level, at asbestos trust funds with seven disease levels, as presented in Rand Corporation's report on Asbestos Bankruptcy Trusts.

AVERAGE AMOUNTS PAID BY ASBESTOS TRUST FUNDS

Mesothelioma
$960,000
Lung Cancer
$258,000
Other Cancer
$122,000
Non Malignant Diseases
$78,000

Disclaimer:  Compensation for your asbestos case will be calculated starting from the base calculation matrix, increasing or decreasing the level of compensation according to the specifics of your case. Factors that can affect the value of your case include, but are not limited to, your location, age, work history, pain and suffering, the asbestos products involved in occupational exposure, and expenses related to your illness. Individual cases vary based on such factors, and previous results don't ensure an equal outcome. The factors specific to your case make it difficult to predict its value before you file an asbestos claim. So, determining how much your case is worth can be a complicated process. If you have any questions about settlements and your legal rights, please contact us immediately for a free consultation.

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Why Residents in Hawaii Choose Us?

We have an expert team of lawyers with practical knowledge in handling asbestos claims across Hawaii. Our attorneys are familiar with the rules and regulations governing Hawaii state asbestos claims. Also, we are compassionate and understand the stress involved in fighting a deadly disease. Most residents of Hawaii choose us because of our all-round support and guidance provided while pursuing an asbestos claim against companies liable for asbestos exposure.

About Us
contact@elglaw.com
Main Office:

2160 Highland Ave,
Birmingham, AL 35205
Get Directions 800.749.9200

205.328.9200

Washington DC Office:

2101 L St NW, Suite 800,
Washington, DC 20037
Get Directions 800.749.9200

202.903.0727

Business Hours:

Monday – Friday
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Saturday & Sunday
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