Union members and asbestos exposure

Which union members might have been exposed to asbestos?

The use of asbestos in the workplace was extremely widespread during the past century. As a result, over 10 million employees were exposed to this carcinogenic mineral on the job between 1940 and 1978, many of whom union workers. Exposure to asbestos, especially when it occurs over the course of several years and involves high levels of airborne fibers, can lead to the development of serious diseases. Mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer whose only cause is asbestos exposure, affects nearly 3,000 people every year in the U.S.

Other diseases which might ensue within 20 to 50 years of the first exposure are lung cancer and asbestosis, while asbestos has also been correlated with esophageal, and colorectal cancer. Members of the following labor unions who worked between the 1940s and the early 1980s are at high risk of being diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease:

We provide quality legal representation to union members injured by asbestos exposure

Nowadays, it is a well-known fact that asbestos is harmful. Although the link between exposure and cancer has been supported by numerous medical studies since the 1930s, asbestos was only classified as a human carcinogen in 1973. For over four decades, major U.S. companies such as Johns Manville and Raybestos-Manhattan have strived to conceal the devastating effects of asbestos exposure from their workers for their own financial benefit. Labor unions had an instrumental role in uncovering the terrible secret, ultimately putting an end to executives' conspiracy.

However, the relentless efforts of union members to raise awareness about the dangers of occupational asbestos exposure were not successful until the 1970s, as the companies were in a considerably more powerful position. Thereby, plenty of union workers continued to breathe airborne asbestos fibers on the job regularly, which would later lead to the development of life-threatening diseases.

We offer the following services for labor union members:

• legal advice free of charge - we work on a contingency fee (40%), which means you are not required to pay us anything unless your case is successfully solved
• legal assistance with filing a claim with one or multiple asbestos trust funds - our legal team and attorneys have been exclusively handling asbestos cases for the past 20 years, so you will recover financial compensation in the shortest time possible
• legal representation in asbestos lawsuits - although filing a claim with asbestos trust funds is a more effective and rapid way of obtaining compensation, our attorneys can also represent you in a lawsuit against the company responsible for your injury