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Akron Rubber Plants Mesothelioma &
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Ohio Asbestos Lawyer investigating asbestos exposure in rubber plants

For decades, Akron was a manufacturing hub for many of America’s largest corporations and numerous rubber plants, with large industrial rubber plants throughout the city.

The rubber industry and other manufacturing firms employed tens of thousands of Akron residents, bringing prosperity to Akron, Canton, Mansfield, Warren, Youngstown and much of northeast Ohio. But along with steady employment and the growth of large corporations came the concerns of worker health.

Employers in Ohio learned of the toxic hazards and dangers of asbestos as early as the 1950s and still chose to utilize the material because it was cheap, durable and effective in various applications. The result was huge industrial complexes filled with a toxic substance that eventually broke down and filled workplaces with toxic fibers.

Ohio workers in several capacities found themselves in poorly ventilated work areas like boiler rooms and machine rooms with asbestos fibers lingering and easily inhaled and ingested. Workers at particular exposure risk include maintenance Crews, machinists, mechanics, painters, insulators, pipefitters and boilermakers, electricians and packing crews.

Asbestos exposure is known to lead to severe respiratory conditions, like mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer. Thousands of Ohio workers have already been diagnosed and suffered terminal illnesses, and many will continue to suffer as the latency period for asbestos-related diseases can be quite long.

Joe Lyon is an experienced Ohio Asbestos Attorney and Akron Mesothelioma Lawyer reviewing toxic workplace exposure for workers in rubber plants and plaintiffs in Ohio and nationwide.

Asbestos Exposure & Akron Rubber Plants

Medical experts and researchers have spent years studying the effects of working with asbestos and other dangerous chemicals in rubber plants and the tire industry as a whole.

The conclusion in numerous studies is always the same: the hazards of working in the rubber and tire industry is hazardous and workers have been regularly exposed to toxins and risk cancers like mesothelioma and lung cancer.

Legal Action: Contact an Akron Mesothelioma Lawyer

Employees of tire and rubber plants, as well as hundreds of other companies who used asbestos in the workplace may have been put at unnecessary risk by their employers.

If former Akron employees have been diagnosed with Mesothelioma Cancer, it may be a result of workplace asbestos exposure. Former workers may have a claim against their Akron employer, and may consider seeking medical and legal assistance from an Ohio Mesothelioma Lawyer.

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ABOUT THE LYON FIRM

Joseph Lyon has 17 years of experience representing individuals in complex litigation matters. He has represented individuals in every state against many of the largest companies in the world.

The Firm focuses on single-event civil cases and class actions involving corporate neglect & fraud, toxic exposure, product defects & recalls, medical malpractice, and invasion of privacy.

NO COST UNLESS WE WIN

The Firm offers contingency fees, advancing all costs of the litigation, and accepting the full financial risk, allowing our clients full access to the legal system while reducing the financial stress while they focus on their healthcare and financial needs.

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A Voice for Those who have suffered
Why are these cases important?

Many experience asbestos exposure through the workplace. Workplaces may have been filled with toxic materials, and employers may have failed to warn of the serious health risks of the job. Filing a suit helps to raise the awareness of job safety.

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Akron Rubber Plants & Asbestos FAQ

How Does Asbestos Exposure Occur?

When asbestos breaks down over time or with use, the fibers of the material can become airborne, presenting a risk of inhaling or ingesting the toxin. Asbestos is a cancer-causing agent, and those heavily exposed can develop scarring in the lungs and later develop lung cancer and mesothelioma.

What Materials Contain Asbestos?

Asbestos was widely used in piping, insulation, electrical components, machine parts, packaging, flooring, ceiling tiles, roofing, and in many building materials.

Can I File a Mesothelioma Lawsuit?

If you were exposed to asbestos at your workplace, and have developed cancer or a related illness, you are likely to qualify for compensation.

Why Did Companies Use Asbestos?

Asbestos was cheap, durable, fire-resistant and light, and was thought to be the perfect insulating material before research showed it was extremely hazardous to the health.

Who was most at risk for exposure?

How Were Auto Workers Exposed to Asbestos?

Auto Workers Exposure


Public health specialists say each year thousands of auto-repair workers are diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases. A warning published by the Automotive Safety Association found that approximately 1 in 10 mechanics at auto repair shops could be at risk for developing an asbestos-related cancer.

Since repair shops also are often short on air circulation, the combination enclosed work spaces and free-floating asbestos fibers makes the occupation particularly dangerous. Ohio General Motors Workers can contact The Lyon Firm, an Ohio asbestos attorney, for more information on their risk factors.

Reports from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) advise mechanics to “assume that all brakes have asbestos-type shoes.” They go on to say it is impossible to know if brake or clutch components contain asbestos by visual inspection. The danger to mechanics will continue for decades as asbestos-filled brakes on warehouse shelves continue to be installed on vehicles.

What are Some Examples of Settlements in Asbestos Exposure Cases?
  • In 2010, a painter in Texas who developed mesothelioma after spending much of his life working with texturized top coats and fillers sued a number of asbestos product manufacturers. A jury awarded him an $11 million verdict.
  • In 2005, a San Francisco jury awarded a sheet metal worker nearly $2 million dollars after he developed mesothelioma from working with duct connectors and duct sealers, which contained asbestos.
  • Owens Corning Fiberglass Corporation was found negligent and a jury awarded one victim of mesothelioma a verdict of nearly $3.5 million. His attorney said the man worked for Owens Corning  in the 1960s and was exposed to their toxic insulation product.
  • In the 1990s, two engineers filed lawsuits against North American Refractory Company (NARCO). According to their lawyers, the victims, who suffered from related lung diseases, were exposed to high levels of asbestos dust from a gunning mix. The jury found North American Refractory Company liable and awarded the men $7 million.
Will the EPA Evaluate Asbestos Exposure?

EPA Asbestos Approval


The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will no longer evaluate asbestos in homes and businesses as a serious danger or health risk, as the EPA announced in recent reports.

The EPA asbestos decisions, under Scott Pruitt, decided it is unnecessary to evaluate the health risks of the toxic substance despite the continuing workplace and home hazards that still lead to mesothelioma deaths for up to 3,000 Americans each year.

The agency will still evaluate and require approval for any new use of asbestos, but let the already-present toxin remains in many public building, businesses, schools, houses and hospitals. Fifty-five countries have a total ban on the use of asbestos, including nations like the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Japan.

The new EPA asbestos stance has gone mostly undeterred because the current administration sees eye-to-eye on safety deregulation and pro-corporate interests. The health and safety of American workers and consumers, however, already in danger, could lose its footing as the EPA drifts toward toxic tolerance.

What are the EPA Standards for Asbestos?

EPA Asbestos Standards


According to the EPA Website, exposure to asbestos increases the risk of developing lung diseases like mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis. That risk is made worse by certain factors, such as smoking and long-term exposure in workplaces known to be laden with the toxin.

There is no safe amount of asbestos exposure, and the greater the exposure to asbestos, the greater the chance of developing severe health problems. Lung disease symptoms may lay dormant after exposure, and can take years to develop.

Asbestos-related health conditions can be difficult to identify and confused with other respiratory health issues. Healthcare professionals help identify the possibility of asbestos exposure by looking at the person’s medical, work, and environmental history. Known major health effects have been linked to asbestos exposure including lung cancer, pulmonary fibrosis, adenocarcinoma and mesothelioma.

On one hand the EPA regards asbestos as a cancer-causing agent, which fills older buildings and presents health hazards to various Ohio workers and consumers, and yet the agency has not taken measures to eradicate the toxin as safety advocates say they could.

The EPA has not properly evaluated the dangerous legacy of existing and so levels of contamination are unknown in Ohio. We do know asbestos exists in many areas in homes, schools, hospitals, factories, auto products, and workplaces but there is little help in evaluating an individual’s Ohio asbestos exposure risks.

Despite a significant reduction in the use of asbestos in past decades, annual deaths continue because asbestos-related diseases lay dormant.

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The Lyon Firm aggressively, professionally, and passionately advocates for injured individuals and families against companies due to asbestos exposure.

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