The Timken Company, a major railway component manufacturer based out of Canton, Ohio, built a specialized roller bearing production facility in Columbus, Ohio in 1958. At the Timken Company’s peak, thousands of people worked at the Columbus and Canton factories, producing a variety of products, mostly for the growing railroad industry.
The Timken Company operated in the Columbus, Ohio plant until 2001, manufacturing ball and roller bearings, and later seals and gaskets. Business was good, but the workplace proved to be a toxic hotspot, full of asbestos, endangering thousands of employees each year, and causing widespread health issues that are still wreaking havoc to former Timken employees today.
Hundreds of former Timken Company workers have suffered asbestos-related illnesses as a result of the unsafe workplace, and several subsequent asbestos exposure lawsuits have been filed.
Joe Lyon is a highly-rated Cincinnati asbestos lawyer representing plaintiffs nationwide in a wide variety of toxic tort and mesothelioma claims.
Working in the railroad industry comes with inherent health risks, the most deadly of which is a widespread exposure to asbestos, which was used in the manufacturing of railway and locomotive components until the 1970s.
Used for its strength and resistance to heat, asbestos filled the railways, and many institutions involved in keeping the railroad running. Workers were unknowingly exposed through various locomotive parts and building structures. As insulation and components broke down with time and use, asbestos fibers were released into the air and inhaled into the lungs of factory workers.
Once asbestos fibers are inhaled they become lodged in the surrounding tissue of the lungs and remain. The fibers commonly cause inflammation, scarring and lead to related illnesses like lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma.
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.
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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.
One study published by the American Journal of Industrial Medicine concludes that workers in the railway industry over the last few decades have faced a “significant exposure” to asbestos. The study notes a “high risk of occupation-related cancer.”
The risk of exposure was possibly even worse at component production plants, like Timken Company. Because asbestos is an airborne toxin, the material can affect anyone in an enclosed building.
Timken workers were likely exposed to asbestos in several different areas in the factory, including around the following:
• Boilers
• Pumps
• Valves
• Compressors
• Roofing
• Pipe-covering
• Electrical panels
• Plaster
• Wallboards
• Floor tiles
• Sealing cement
• Gaskets
• Seals
Nearly any employee in or around machine shops were vulnerable to breathe in toxic asbestos fibers. Timken workers in positions in or near the vicinity of grinding and lathing operations were frequently exposed to asbestos dust on the job.
It was common for machinists and workers in maintenance to cut, sand or smooth asbestos-containing materials, which released asbestos fibers into the air, soon to be inhaled into the lungs. These workers may have frequently handled locomotive parts that were insulated with asbestos. Other particularly hazardous positions at risk of asbestos exposure included:
• Pipefitters
• Machinists
• Maintenance Crews
• Mechanics
• Welders
• Insulators
• Electricians
Symptoms of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases may not present for up to 30 years after initial exposure. When an ill patient does show symptoms, they may include the following:
• Pain in the chest and back
• Cough
• Shortness of breath
• Excessive sweating
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Weight loss
• Trouble swallowing
Railroads and railway component manufacturers in Ohio continued using asbestos even after the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) made companies aware of the health risks. Many companies did not inform employees of the hazards, and failed to provide them with protective measures.
Former employees of Timken Company in Columbus, and other unsafe workplaces in Ohio, who have developed serious health issues may have claims against their former employers.
Deadly illnesses like mesothelioma may have been caused by asbestos exposure in the workplace up to 30 years before symptoms appear. Please do not hesitate to seek medical and legal assistance.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that was first utilized in the early 1900s for its insulating abilities, fireproof properties, and versatility. It has been estimated that over 30 million tons of asbestos was used in the American economy in industrial yards, homes, schools, shipyards, and other workplaces.
The natural breakdown of asbestos products and subsequent sawing or cutting of the asbestos creates dust and fibers that are inhaled and can lead to mesothelioma and other severe forms of lung cancer.
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.
Asbestos was widely used in piping, insulation, electrical components, machine parts, packaging, flooring, ceiling tiles, roofing, and in many building materials.
If you were exposed to asbestos at your workplace, and have developed cancer or a related illness, you are likely to qualify for compensation.
Asbestos was cheap, durable, fire-resistant and light, and was though to be the perfect insulating material before research showed it was extremely hazardous to the health.
The success rates of settlements regarding asbestos exposure injury are quite high. It may be necessary to prove that occupational exposure is the primary cause of lung cancer or mesothelioma, though this is the job of The Lyon Firm, and we have experience in reaching large mesothelioma settlements.
Our Firm will help you find the answers. The Firm has the experience, resources and dedication to take on difficult and emotional cases and help our clients obtain the justice for the wrong they have suffered.
Experience: Joe Lyon is an experienced Asbestos Lawyer. The Lyon Firm has 19 years of experience and success representing individuals and plaintiffs in all fifty states, and in a variety of complex civil litigation matters. Asbestos lawsuits can be complex and require industry experts to determine the root cause of an accident or injury. Mr. Lyon has worked with experts nationwide to assist individuals understand why an injury occurred and what can be done to improve their lives in the future. Some cases may go to a jury trial, though many others can be settled out of court.
Resources/Dedication: The Lyon Firm is dedicated to building the strongest cases possible for clients and their critical interests.
Results: Mr. Lyon has obtained numerous seven and six figure asbestos settlements.
The Lyon Firm aggressively, professionally, and passionately advocates for injured individuals and families against companies due to asbestos exposure.
Asbestos (Mesothelioma)
Asbestos (Mesothelioma)
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