Union Carbide 
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Asbestos Cancer Lawyer Investigating Union Carbide Asbestos Exposure

The Lyon Firm is investigating Union Carbide asbestos exposure claims on behalf of former employees and contractors. Factories, foundries and other manufacturing facilities were known to contain hazardous asbestos materials that may have caused cancer and other serious illness to those who spent time in the facilities.

Union Carbide is a chemical company that mined and milled began asbestos in California in the 1960s. The company mined chrysotile asbestos that Union Carbide trademarked as “Calidria.”

Over the last 20 years, former workers have filed asbestos-related personal injury claims after being exposed to asbestos in Union Carbide’s mine, mill and plants. The Union Carbide mill produced different grades of Calidria asbestos powder and workers reported it floating in the factory air during production. Companies used Union Carbide asbestos to produce the following:

  • Cement
  • Wallboard
  • Joint compound
  • Paint
  • Wall coatings
  • Adhesives
  • Sheet packing

Union Carbide had operations in the following Ohio locations:

  • FREEPORT
  • RIVERVIEW
  • BELPRE
  • FOSTORIA
  • FREMONT
  • ASHTABULA
  • MARIETTA
  • CLEVELAND

Louisiana Plants:

  • Taft Plant–Hahnville, LA
  • Luling, LA

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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.

The Mechanics of Asbestos Exposure

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. Unlike some other ingested toxins which may be flushed from the body over time, asbestos fibers usually remain embedded in the lungs. 

When asbestos fibers are released into the air, they can be trapped in the lungs and cause scarring and inflammation. 

Secondary exposure is also possible through fibers traveling on a family members clothing. Due to health concerns, all new uses of asbestos were banned in July 1989.

Frequency of Asbestos Related Illness

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) all consider asbestos a known carcinogen.

Each year hundreds of men and women are diagnosed with lung cancer, pulmonary fibrosis and mesothelioma—asbestos-related illnesses potentially due to past asbestos exposure. The vast majority of those who develop lung cancer and mesothelioma worked in an environment where asbestos was present. Workplaces may have been filled with toxic materials, and employers may have failed to warn of the serious health risks of the job.  Examples of Asbestos related illness include:

Adenocarcinoma Lung Cancer & Asbestos Exposure

Although adenocarcinoma lung cancer is associated with smoking, studies indicate exposure to asbestos may cause this form of deadly cancer. Inhaling asbestos fibers at the workplace over months or years put individuals at high risk for developing adenocarcinoma lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis. In terms of duration or dose, the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has concluded that there is no safe level of exposure to asbestos.

Mesothelioma & Asbestos Exposure

Mesothelioma is a serious illness that has been linked to asbestos exposure in medical literature with a latency period of 20-50 years after being first exposed to asbestos. A diagnosis of mesothelioma and lung cancer is overwhelming news for the individual and their family.

Most deaths from malignant mesothelioma in the United States are the result of exposures to asbestos decades prior. However, the continuing occurrence of mesothelioma deaths among persons under the age of 55 suggests ongoing occupational and environmental exposures to asbestos fibers, despite years of action by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) aimed at limiting asbestos exposure for much of the last 40 years.

To consider ways to assist in paying for medical expenses, you may talk to Attorney Joe Lyon  for information on asbestos exposure, treatment and compensation. Filing an asbestos exposure lawsuit helps to raise the awareness of job safety, while also securing the financial compensation available to workers through multiple sources.

Symptoms of Lung Cancer & Mesothelioma

Asbestos-related cancer victims may not show signs of illness for decades after exposure. When symptoms do appear, cancer may already be in a late stage. Seek medical assistance if you develop the following symptoms:

  • A persistent cough
  • Coughing up blood from the lungs
  • Persistent chest pain
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Trouble breathing
  • Swelling in the neck or face
  • Loss of appetite
  • Unexplained weight loss
  • Fatigue
  • Anemia
Cincinnati Asbestos Exposure Attorney
Identify Where Asbestos Exposure Occurred

Common Causes of Asbestos Exposure

Most deaths from malignant mesothelioma in the United States are the result of exposures to asbestos decades prior. However, the continuing occurrence of mesothelioma and lung cancer deaths among persons under the age of 55 suggests ongoing occupational and environmental exposures to asbestos fibers. 

Asbestos can be found in factories, warehouses, mills, homes built before 1980, construction sites, and in many military instillations. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), there are 75 different jobs that could have exposed workers to asbestos, with those jobs primarily involving construction and manufacturing. Currently, thousands of American workers are still affected by asbestos each year. 

Our Firm can help you identify the exposure sources and then initiate the proper claims so that will provide the security you and your family require.

CONTACT THE LYON FIRM TODAY

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Union Carbide Asbestos Exposure FAQ

What are some known union carbide asbestos sites?
  • FREEPORT
  • RIVERVIEW
  • BELPRE
  • FOSTORIA
  • FREMONT
  • ASHTABULA
  • MARIETTA
  • CLEVELAND
  • Taft Plant–Hahnville, LA
  • Luling, LA
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?

 

What are some other Areas of Occupational Exposure?

Occupational Asbestos Exposure


The following tasks are associated with possible high asbestos exposure:

  • Installing framework in factory construction projects
  • Inspecting factory equipment
  • Masonry work
  • Machining
  • Assembling and repairing boilers and plate work
  • Operating plant machines and cranes
  • Welding
  • Tending to stoves or furnaces
  • Applying metal lath
  • Laying heating and ventilating pipes
  • Forging and heat-treating steel products and tools
  • Insulating various types of pipe systems
  • Installing acoustic tiles
  • Smelting and pouring materials at high temperatures
  • Plastering and sanding surface finishes
  • Working in an enclosed space with asbestos products (shingles and tiles, etc.)
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.

Finding the Source of Asbestos Exposure

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