Arizona is one of the natural asbestos hotspots in the nation. There are at least one hundred known locations for asbestos deposits in Arizona. There were forty six active asbestos mines in the state at one time; active mining ended in 1982. There are however several large copper mines and three copper smelters where workers were at risk for asbestos exposure. The state’s power plants that were built prior to 1980 were all high-risk work locations for asbestos exposure, including the Palo Verde Nuclear Plant in the Phoenix area.
When you or a family member is diagnosed with mesothelioma, everything changes. We understand that this is an incredibly difficult time for you and your family. While no amount of compensation can buy you a medical miracle, filing a mesothelioma lawsuit can help lift financial burdens so you can focus on what’s important.
If you are considering filing a mesothelioma lawsuit, we encourage you to call us to learn more. There is no cost to file a claim and contacting us with your questions is free.
We also know that traveling during this time could be difficult. Our Arizona mesothelioma lawyers will come to you. Over the past decade, we have represented many clients throughout Arizona, including retirees and families who live in.
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| Arizona Mesothelioma Attorney Photo Source From istockphoto.com |
Our mesothelioma law firm has recovered over $5 billion in verdicts and settlements on behalf of thousands of clients throughout the United States. For Arizona retirees and individuals impacted by a mesothelioma diagnosis, our asbestos attorneys have recovered over $130 million to help them pay for medical bills and hold the people who harmed them accountable.
One landmark verdict the firm won was a $250 million verdict on behalf of Roby Whittington, a steelworker who worked at U.S. Steel for 30 years. The verdict still stands today as the largest asbestos verdict against a single defendant in the history of the litigation.
You should know that Arizona has a unique set of laws that could impact your ability to file a claim. For example, Arizona has statute of limitation laws that restrict the time frame in which mesothelioma patients and family members can file a lawsuit. Rest assured our Arizona mesothelioma lawyers are prepared to help you understand the process and guide you through the legal system.
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| Mesothelioma Azores Photo Source From istockphoto.com |
If you’d like to talk to a mesothelioma lawyer about a potential case in Arizona, we are available to meet with you in your home or a location of your choosing. Contact Simmons Hanly Conroy today to learn more about scheduling your no-obligation appointment.
Asbestos is a deadly mineral that has been used in thousands of products in multiple industries including manufacturing, steel working, shipbuilding and more. When asbestos fibers are inhaled or ingested they increase a person’s risk of contracting an asbestos-related disease like mesothelioma.
The difficult part is asbestos fibers are often microscopic and many workers might not know how they were exposed. If you are unsure about how your asbestos exposure might have occurred that does not mean you can’t file a mesothelioma lawsuit. Our experienced attorneys have helped our past clients identify their asbestos exposures, even exposures in other states, and they are ready to help you and your family as well. Our firm has an established track record of success in identifying work places in Arizona and throughout the country that may have used asbestos.
Arizona is a Southwestern state that is home to many naturally-occurring asbestos deposits. The state’s legacy of asbestos mining and its negative effects on human health can be traced to the late 19th Century. Additionally, several factories and buildings had a strong association with asbestos use prior to the warning of its dangers. As a result, Arizona is ranked 21st in the nation for asbestosis and mesothelioma deaths.
If you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma or asbestos-related lung cancer, you may be entitled to a significant amount of compensation. Right now, there is over $30 billion in asbestos trusts funds. These trust funds were set up by manufacturers and other entities who are liable for exposing people to asbestos. We invite you to use our Asbestos Attorney Locator Tool to find a top mesothelioma lawyer in your area.
According to a report by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Mines, asbestos was first identified in Arizona in 1872. However, large scale mining of asbestos, primarily of the chrysotile variety (known as white asbestos), did not start until 1912. That year was marked by the discovery of a huge deposit of chrysotile in the Salt River area. This prompted the beginning of prospecting and mineral extraction in central Arizona and elsewhere by companies such as John Mansville, W.R. Grace, and Jaquays Mining Corporation.
Arizona’s asbestos mining industry was the main source of the state’s troubles with the carcinogenic mineral, but not the only one. Many industries, especially those involved in construction and energy production, used the fibrous minerals in their facilities or made asbestos-containing materials (ACMs). Asbestos was used as insulation and to protect property, equipment and workers from the effects of fire, intense heat, or electrical discharges.
Even unrelated mineral mining and processing businesses were impacted by asbestos contamination. The Solomon’s Mines packing plant in Phoenix processed vermiculite, a mineral extracted from mines in Libby, Montana by W.R. Grace. In its normal, pure state, vermiculite is not dangerous to humans, but the deposits in Montana were contaminated by large amounts of asbestos fibers.
Another major vermiculite processing plant which handed ore mined by W.R. Grace in Libby was the Ari-Zonolite Company site in Glendale. According to a report prepared by the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS), this job site was leased by Ari-Zonolite from 1951 to 1964. It is estimated that over 200,000 tons of vermiculite ore was shipped to the Ari-Zonolite plant for processing. This ore was found to contain an estimated 21%-26% asbestos, but W.R. Grace considered this to be a natural and harmless side effect.
Ari-Zonolite processed the vermiculite from Libby to manufacture insulation products. This resulted in asbestos contamination not only of the Ari-Zonolite facility, especially in its furnace, but also of the finished products made in a 13-year-long timespan.
Ari-Zonolite vacated the facility in 1964 and moved all of its vermiculite processing equipment, but other businesses operated on site till 2002. Thus, individuals who worked in this Glendale job site were exposed to asbestos fibers in some fashion.
Asbestos also made its way to residences far from the Ari-Zonolite site on the clothing worn by employees and visitors to the processing plant. Hundreds, perhaps, thousands, of persons were put at risk of developing asbestosis, lung cancer, or mesothelioma, especially workers who were involved in processing vermiculite on a regular basis.
Job Sites and Government Facilities Known to Have Asbestos Contamination
Many industries and government agencies, including the Department of Defense and its armed branches, used asbestos and ACMs for various purposes. Though many products such as flooring tiles and insulation now use substitute materials, many public and private buildings built before 1980 still contain asbestos.
If left undisturbed, asbestos poses few health hazards in humans. However, any activity, such as renovation or repair work, that disturbs the fibrous materials can introduce asbestos into the environment.
Per the Environmental Working Group, the U.S. government recorded approximately 672 asbestos-related deaths in Arizona from 1979 to 2001. Of these, between 293 to 473 were caused by mesothelioma. Asbestosis accounts for the other 210 deaths caused by prolonged exposure to asbestos.
Arizona has laws and regulations in place to help protect the public from the dangers of asbestos. The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality has mandated its own regulations, but the state also follows the regulations under Asbestos National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) Program. Current laws for asbestos abatement, handling, and removal in the state of Arizona include,
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| Mesothelioma Lawsuit Honeywell Arizona Photo |
Mayo Clinic Arizona: Backed by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the Mayo Clinic Arizona treats all forms of cancer, with specialized focus on asbestos-related cancers. Along with its main campus in Scottsdale, two other campuses are available in Florida and Minnesota.
University of Arizona Cancer Center (UACC): Also backed by NCI, UACC offers two cancer centers in both Tucson and Orange Grove. Both campuses offer cutting-edge technology and an in-depth team of cancer scientists, physicians, and researchers.
Statute of Limitations in Arizona
In Arizona, a plaintiff must file an asbestos-related lawsuit within two years of diagnosis, according to the state’s statute of limitations. For wrongful death lawsuits, the plaintiff must file within two years of the victim’s death date.
There are also two vermiculite processing plants located in Glendale and Phoenix that used the vermiculite ore provided by the W.R. Grace mine in Libby, Montana. The mine produced asbestos-contaminated vermiculite ore from the 1920s until 1993. Grace operated the mine from 1963 until its closure. The facility in Phoenix, called Solomon’s Mines, processed Libby vermiculite until the mine closed. The Glendale facility ceased operation in 1964.
A survey conducted in 2000 of all death certificates that listed an asbestos disease as the cause shows that between 1979 and 2000 there were 210 deaths in Arizona attributed to asbestosis. During that same period between 293 and 473 Arizonans died from malignant mesothelioma or asbestos lung cancer. In 1999 the federal government began tracking mesothelioma deaths across the country. In 2005 they reported that between the years 1999 and 2005 an additional 282 mesothelioma deaths had occurred in the state.
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| Mesothelioma Doctors Mesa Arizona Photo Source From istockphoto.com |
The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality is responsible for enforcing asbestos emissions laws and overseeing the EPA standards and any state standards that apply. The state does not enforce these laws in tribal lands; that is left to the tribes and the federal government to work out. State law allows any resident who develops an asbestos related disease two years to file a personal injury or product liability suit. There is also a two year window for wrongful death suits, an option for families who have lost someone to an asbestos illness.
Given the complications of state and federal laws governing asbestos liability it is best to have an experienced Arizona mesothelioma lawyer manage the case for you. Arizona follows a pure comparative negligence and pure joint and several liability system, meaning that in cases where there are multiple parties at fault each party pays a proportionate share. Any fault incurred by the plaintiff cannot be claimed.
ASARCO is a copper mine operator based in Tucson that has been involved in thousands of asbestos lawsuits, ultimately filing for bankruptcy protection in 2005. At that point the company faced 95,000 asbestos claims and action on dozens of its mining sites, several of which are on the Superfund list. As part of a sale to a Mexican corporation ASARCO ultimately agreed to a $2.4 billion settlement and trust fund arrangement for outstanding asbestos liability claims. Read more about how to to find the right Asbestos lawyer as well as recent Mesothelioma case settlements in addition to lawsuits for Mesothelioma.
