Louisville is well-known for many things, but asbestos exposure risk is not one of these things. In fact, for decades, people throughout this Kentucky metro area risked asbestos exposure every time they went to work or school. But asbestos providers carefully concealed these risks, so they could keep using this cheap insulation mineral. Additionally, for many years, government regulators looked the other way. Congress did not pass substantive asbestos restrictions until the 1970s. Even today, this deadly substance is legal to use in the United States.
When companies put profits before people and government watchdogs do not adequately do their jobs, the Louisville mesothelioma lawyers at the Throneberry Law Group get results. We diligently build cases that hold companies responsible for the injuries they caused in their reckless pursuit of profits. These injuries include not only mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive kind of cancer, but also pleural thickening, asbestosis, and other serious lung diseases that are normally fatal.
Louisville Asbestos Hotspots
The Bluegrass State has one of the highest number of asbestos hotspots in the nation. Before 1980, builders used generous amounts of asbestos to insulate and fireproof commercial and residential structures. In addition to pipe, electrical wiring, and attic insulation, most builders used asbestos-laced floor tiles, drywall, and ceiling tiles. Specific hotspots in the Louisville area include:
- Metal Works,
- Ashland Oil,
- Louisa Power (Big Sandy Power),
- Louisville Chemical Plant,
- Reynolds Aluminum,
- Fort Campbell,
- DuPont,
- Illinois Central Railroad,
- Alcoa Aluminum,
- Armco Steel,
- Florida Tile, and
- Queen Products Company
At some of these sites, asbestos was embedded in the buildings and escaped into the air. At others, workers handled asbestos-laced products. In still others, both these things were true.
Many people were exposed to asbestos from these and other sites several decades ago. No one can go back in time and change what happened. But a Louisville mesothelioma lawyer can do the next best thing, which is obtain the financial compensation asbestos exposure victims and survivors need and deserve.
At-Risk Victims
At the Throneberry Law Group, we represent ambient (work or service-related) and non-ambient(environmental) asbestos exposure victims.
Workers who handled asbestos-laced products usually wore little or no PPE (personal protective equipment). Sometimes, employers did not provide adequate PPE. Sometimes, employers downplayed asbestos exposure risks, so workers did not use available PPE.
Other onsite workers risked mesothelioma and other asbestos-exposure illnesses as well. Office workers were completely unaware of secondhand asbestos exposure risks. This exposure often occurred when office workers crossed the parking lot or interacted with primary exposure victims.
The risk did not end there. People who lived with or near ambient exposure victims often breathed asbestos fibers. These workers unintentionally carried these fibers home on their vehicles, on their clothes, or in their hair.
All these victims have legal options. In most cases, more than one option is available. Our Louisville mesothelioma lawyers carefully explain the pros and cons of each approach in language that victims and survivors clearly understand.
Contact a Louisville Mesothelioma Attorney
Before 1980, deadly asbestos fibers often hung in the air in Kentucky. For a free consultation with an experienced Louisville mesothelioma lawyer, contact the Throneberry Law Group. The sooner you reach out to us, the sooner we start working for you.
