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Exposed to Asbestos in Montana?

Montana is among the scarcely populated states but has the highest rates of asbestos-related diseases due to the presence of vermiculite mines. The state’s mining activity was a principal source of asbestos for more than three decades.

How and Where Were You Exposed to Asbestos in Montana?

Power generation plants and oil refining companies established before the 1980s in Montana used asbestos on a large scale as a fire retardant. Because of this, most of the people working in these industries were routinely exposed to harmful asbestos fibers.

Alder

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Alder

3 Asbestos Related Deaths (1979-2001)

• Conrey Peacer Mining Company

Anaconda

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Anaconda

2 Asbestos Related Deaths (1979-2001)

• Anaconda Copper Mining Company
• Anaconda Smelter
• Saltenberger Plumbing & Heating
• Sulphuric Acid Plant
• The Anaconda Company

Billings

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Billings

69 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

• Armstrong Contracting & Supply Corporation
• Billings Laundry
• Billings Mutual Heating Company
• Billings Sugar Company
• Billings Utility Company
• Conoco Oil Refinery
• Continental Oil Company
• Curette Plant Power House
• E.J. Bartells
• Exxon Corporation
• Exxon Refinery
• Fiberglas Engineering & Supply Company
• Great Western Sugar Company
• Humble Oil & Refining Company
• J.E. Corrette Steam Plant
• Montana Power Company
• Mountain Bell
• P.B. Moss
• Powerhouse
• Wyo-Ben Prod Company
• Yale Oil Corporation

Butte

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Butte

34 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

• Anaconda Copper Mining Company
• Armstrong Contracting & Supply Corporation
• Butte General Electric Company
• Butte Lighting and Power Company
• Consolidated Copper and Silver Mining Company
• East Butte Copper Mining Company
• Heartland Grain Fuels
• Kelly Heating Plant
• Montana Ore Purchasing Company
• Montana Power Company
• Moulton Gold and Silver Mining Company
• Moulton Mining Company
• No Butte Mining Company
• Original Butte Mining Company
• Phoenix Electric Plant
• Pittsburg and Montana Copper Company
• Stauffer Chemical
• Timber Butte Milling Company
• Victor Chemical Company

Chinook

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Chinook

• Utah Idaho Sugar Company

Columbia Falls

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Columbia Falls

117 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

• Anaconda Aluminum Company
• Plum Creek Lumber Company

Cut Bank

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Cut Bank

13 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

• Glacier Production Corp
• Union Oil Company

Frenchtown

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Frenchtown

51 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

• Stone Container Corporation

Glasgow

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Glasgow

3-6 Asbestos Related Deaths (1979-2001)

• Airbase Powerhouse
• Glasgow Air Force Base
• US Air Force

Great Falls

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Great Falls

85 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

• Boston and Montana Con. Copper and Silver Ming Company
• Forzley Sales Company
• General Mills
• Montana Refining
• Phillips Petroleum Company
• United States Army Air Base

Heath

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Heath

12 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

• United States Gypsum Company

Helena

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Helena

40 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

• Helena Power Transmission Company
• National Mining and Exploring Company
• Western Ranch Supply Company

Laurel

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Laurel

69 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

• Cenex Harvest States
• Cenex Refinery
• Farmers Union Central Exchange
• Farmer's Union Co-Op Oil (FUCE) Plant
• Laurel Oil and Refining Company
• Union Tank Car Company

Libby

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Libby

192 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

• J Neil Lumber Company
• Libby Mines
• Saint Regis Paper Company

Livingstone

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Livingstone

16 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

• Northern Pacific Railway Company

Missoula

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Missoula

51 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

• Amalgamated Sugar Company
• Armstrong Contracting & Supply Corporation
• Clausen Refrigeration
• Evans Products Company
• Great Western Sugar Company
• Hoerner Waldorf Corporation
• Hoerner Waldorf Paper Products
• Intermountain Lumber Company
• Iowa Valley Sugar Company Inc.
• Missoula Electric Cooperative
• Missoula Light and Water Company
• Missoula White Pine Sash
• New Mens Residence
• Paper Mill & Digester
• Smurfit-Stone Container
• Stone Container Corporation
• Van Evan Company

Montana City

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Montana City

5 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

• Kaiser Cement & Gypsum

Plains

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Plains

11 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

• Diehl Lumber Company

Sunburst

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Sunburst

1 Asbestos Related Death (1979-2001)

• Texaco, Inc.

Troy

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Troy

96 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

• J. Neils Lumber Company

Washoe

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Washoe

10 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

• Montana Coal and Iron Company

Wickes

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Wickes

5 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

• Alta Montana Company

Troy Libby Columbia Falls Plains Sunburst Cut Bank Chinook Frenchtown Anaconda Alder Montana City Wickes Livingstone Heath Laurel Washoe Glasgow

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Troy

96 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Libby

192 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Columbia Falls

117 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Plains

11 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Sunburst

1 Asbestos Related Death (1979-2001)

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Cut Bank

13 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Chinook

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Great Falls

85 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Frenchtown

51 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Missoula

51 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Anaconda

2 Asbestos Related Deaths (1979-2001)

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Butte

34 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Alder

3 Asbestos Related Deaths (1979-2001)

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Helena

40 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Montana City

5 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Wickes

5 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Livingstone

16 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Heath

12 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Billings

69 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Laurel

69 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Washoe

10 Asbestos Related Deaths (1999-2013)

Asbestos Exposure Areas in
Glasgow

3-6 Asbestos Related Deaths (1979-2001)

Mesothelioma & Lung Cancer
Statute of Limitations in Montana

The statutes of limitations are laws that restrict the time within which a plaintiff can bring an asbestos claim. The statute of limitations in Montana is relatively longer than in other states, three years from the day the plaintiff discovered that he/she has an asbestos-related disease.

According to the statute, if a person with an asbestos-related disease dies before the case is concluded, the heirs can file a wrongful death asbestos claim, but within three years from the date of death. In both these cases, an asbestos exposure lawyer should be consulted as soon as possible, because the action is time barred.

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Mesothelioma & Lung Cancer
Legal Representation in Montana

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.

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 Montana

Current and former residents of Montana diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, and their family members should contact us as soon as possible. The statutes of limitations are only three years from the date of the diagnosis (for personal injury asbestos claims) and the time of death (for wrongful death asbestos 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 process of filing your asbestos claim.

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 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 Montana Choose Us?

Our lawyers are experts in handling asbestos claims. We have an excellent understanding of the rules governing Montana State asbestos litigation, and as a result, we can help you fight for your rightful compensation. We do understand that as a patient diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, you face a lot of stressful situations and that is why we make the legal process hassle-free. We also have a proven track record of being successful at most of the cases handled. Also, we will help you choose the best medical treatment in your area.

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

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8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Saturday & Sunday
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