Arizona Mesothelioma Lawyers

Asbestos is a deadly mineral that has been used in thousands of products. When microscopic asbestos fibers are inhaled or ingested, they can cause a number of diseases, including mesothelioma and lung cancer. Of the diseases caused by asbestos, mesothelioma is the most aggressive, attacking the internal lining of the lungs and abdomen. Mesothelioma typically does not develop until decades after the asbestos exposure occurred.

You've come to the right place. If you have been exposed to asbestos in consumer products, the environment, or from working in an industry likely to be exposed to asbestos -- like construction, mining, manufacturing, longshore -- and have developed health issues resulting from asbestos exposure, an asbestos and mesothelioma lawyer can help.

Use FindLaw to hire a local asbestos lawyer to seek compensation for medical expenses resulting from asbestos exposure or mesothelioma cancer.

Arizona Mesothelioma Deaths

Between 1999 and 2005, nearly 400 Arizona residents died as a result of malignant mesothelioma. Arizona is likely to have lost even more to this incurable cancer than these numbers present, as mesothelioma is both difficult to diagnose and often misdiagnosed. While the total number of fatalities is small compared to certain other cancers, unlike other cancers, mesothelioma has only one known cause: asbestos. Had the industries and insurance companies not hidden this fact from workers for decades, thousands, perhaps millions of unnecessary deaths could have been avoided, not only from mesothelioma, but also asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, colon, laryngeal cancer, and others that can be caused by asbestos exposure.

Arizona Asbestos

Asbestos is a group of several similar minerals together that share common traits; perhaps most notable is it's tendency to break apart into long, thin fibers. These fibers can add strength without excessive weight, are heat and chemical resistant, and are a good insulator, both for against heat and electric conductivity. The thin and lightweight fibers can easily become airborne (the term "friable" is often used describe the ease with which asbestos can break apart and become airborne). Once in the air, they are easily inhaled or ingested and in the body, the fibers can cause injury, leading to the development of scarring and cancer.

Asbestos was first discovered in Arizona in 1872 along Ash Greek in a town that would eventually bear the name Chrysotile, after the type of asbestos found there. Nearly all the asbestos deposits in Arizona were located near in the centrally located Gila County where Chrysotile, Arizona, was founded around 1914. At approximately the same time, industrial and construction demands for asbestos to begin taking advantage of the Arizona deposits, and by the early 20th century, asbestos was being actively mined in Arizona by companies like Johns-Manville and Phillips Asbestos Company.

By 1953, some 30 to 35 thousand tons of asbestos had been mined from Arizona's landscape. While environmental exposures are possible (and have become a greater concern in recent years as commercial asbestos use and asbestos imports have decreased) most of the risk posed by asbestos is still as a result of occupational exposures. Asbestos was widely used to provide fire resistance against the hot equipment used at copper plants or to guard against harsh chemicals used in petrochemical companies throughout the 50s, 60s, and 70s. Mining of asbestos in Arizona finally stopped in January of 1982.

Asbestos & Mesothelioma Lawyers: Arizona

Experienced Arizona asbestos lawyers know just how challenging asbestos lawsuits are to prosecute. Complex laws and regulations, long disease latency, and a library of evidence and resources specifically relating to asbestos cases are all crucial to a successfully waged case. The laws and regulations that affect Arizona asbestos lawsuits will vary based on the individual factors of your case, such as your type of asbestos injury, the companies and products you worked with, and any other states in which you were employed.

One important rule of law for almost all people injured by asbestos to consider is the statute of limitations, or the amount of time you have to bring an asbestos lawsuit after receive a diagnosis for your asbestos injury. Arizona's statute of limitations in asbestos lawsuits is generally two years after your initial diagnosis; although complicating and mitigating circumstances may affect this. A change in status, such as when someone who has asbestosis is also diagnosed with mesothelioma, can affect or initiate a new statute of limitations.

Because the statute of limitations can be so brief, especially to someone recently diagnosed with a serious disease, we strongly encourage you to contact an asbestos or mesothelioma lawyer as soon as you've been diagnosed. Even if you are unsure of pursuing a claim, our Arizona asbestos lawyers can talk with you about the practical and legal aspects that factor into your case and ensure that a statute of limitations doesn't eliminate your choice, as asbestos manufacturers did.

This relatively short statute of limitations stands in sharp contrast to the long disease latency asbestos injuries have. Asbestos diseases can arise 10, 20, even 40 years after exposure occurred. This long latency period can make fighting your lung cancer or mesothelioma lawsuit particularly challenging. People move, companies change names, products are relabeled and repackaged, memories fade: these seemingly mundane activities have long served as a buffer for the industries that knowingly exposed dangerous asbestos to unsuspecting workers and their families.

Our co-counsel mesothelioma attorneys, Goldberg, Persky, & White, P.C., not only have a familiarity with local Arizona asbestos companies and the products they used, but that knowledge is supported by a large library of documentation that our associates have been amassing for more than 30 years, since the first asbestos lawsuits were being successfully waged in the courtroom. Corporate documents, depositions, expert witnesses, and an understanding of Arizona-specific jobsites are all key to effectively prosecuting your case.

This kind of expert knowledge is key for difficult and challenging cases, such as secondary exposure asbestos injuries or cases where the victim doesn't recall being exposed. We have helped wives who developed mesothelioma through laundering their husband's clothing and a doctor who developed malignant mesothelioma from one summer scraping up asbestos floor tiles in his teens.

Allow our experience to serve you: contact us today for a free, no obligation consultation. We are eager to answer your questions and address any concerns you have about your potential asbestos lawsuit.

Asbestos: Arizona Jobsites & Companies

Some of the Arizona job sites our clients have worked at are listed below.

• Laughlin Power Plant (Bullhead City, AZ))

• General Electric – Turbine (Chandler, AZ)

• Southwestern Nitro Chemical Co. (Chandler, AZ)

• Spreckels Sugar Plant (Chandler, AZ)

• Williams Air Force Base (Chandler, AZ)

• Phelps Dodge (Clifton, AZ)

• Chandler Power Plant (Cochise, AZ)

• Cochise Power Plant (Douglas, AZ)

• Phelps Dodge (Flagstaff, AZ)

• Southwest Forest (Gilbert, AZ)

• Luke Air Force Base (Glendale, AZ)

• Salt River Power Plant (Glendale, AZ)

• Aqua Fria Power Plant (Hayden, AZ)

• Kennecott Copper Mine (Hayden, AZ)

• Tucson Gas (Irvington, AZ)

• Kennecott Copper Mine (Joseph City, AZ)

• Cholla Power (Joseph City, AZ)

• Mineral Park Inc. (Kingman, AZ)

• Moly Plant (Kingman, AZ)

• Duval Mine (Mineral Rock, AZ)

• Arizona Public Service Cholla Power Plant (Morenci, AZ)

• Phelps Dodge Copper Plant (Morenci, AZ)

• Copper Smelter (Morenci, AZ)

• Arizona Public Service Navajo Power Plant (Navajo Reservation, AZ)

• Lake Mead Project (Needles, AZ)

• Victor Ruiz Fibers (Nogales, AZ)

• SRP Power Plant (Page, AZ)

• Phelps Dodge Copper Smelter (Page, AZ)

• Asbestos Engineering & Supply (Phoenix, AZ)

• AT & SF Spur (Phoenix, AZ)

• FENCO (Phoenix, AZ)

• Fiberglass Engineering & Supply (Phoenix, AZ)

• General Electric (Phoenix, AZ)

• Motorola Plant (Phoenix, AZ)

• Mountain Bell Telephone (Phoenix, AZ)

• Owens Corning (Phoenix, AZ)

• Palo Verde Nuclear Plant (Phoenix, AZ)

• Salt River Project Powerhouse (Phoenix, AZ)

• Santa Fe Peoria Track (Phoenix, AZ)

• Western Electric (Phoenix, AZ)

• Gilbert Engineering (Phoenix, AZ)

• Arizona Public Service Power Plant( Red Rock, AZ)

• Arizona Railroad Co. (San Manuel, AZ)

• San Manuel Copper Refinery (San Manuel, AZ)

• Southwest Forest Industry Paper Mill (Snow Flake, AZ)

• Arizona Public Service Utility Power Plant (Springerville, AZ)

• SRP Coronado Power Plant (St. Johns, AZ)

• Arizona Public Service Power Plant (St. Joseph, AZ)

• Arizona Public Service Ocotillo Power Plant (Tempe, AZ)

• Ford Motor Company (Tempe, AZ)

• SRP Kyrene Power Plant (Tempe, AZ)

• Arizona Public Service Saguaro Power Plant (Tucson, AZ)

• Yuma Marine Corps Base (Yuma, AZ)

Mesothelioma Lawyer Arizona - Arizona Mesothelioma Attorneys

Several facilities throughout different areas of Arizona have been known to have used, manufactured, or presented a threat of the release of asbestos into the environment. Although regulations of the toxic mineral have led to the cleanup of many of these facilities, many individuals who may have been exposed through employment or other means may have still been put at high risk for health conditions such as mesothelioma.

According to some reports, over 470 cases of mesothelioma were reported over a 20-year span leading up to the year 2000. Subsequent numbers have reportedly been on the rise. Although mesothelioma was more widely used commercially prior to legislation enacted during the 1990's, records on asbestos related deaths in Arizona were not available prior to 1980, when the U.S. government began tracking such statistics.

About Mesothelioma and Asbestos

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that is harmful to human health when its fibers are inhaled. It can lead to health conditions such as asbestosis or mesothelioma, which is a rare form of cancer that can effect the protective lining of several internal organs of the body. There is no cure for mesothelioma, but treatment options are available to alleviate pain and other related symptoms. Patients and their families should discuss medical issues related to asbestos diseases with a qualified medical care provider.

Arizona Legal Options for Patients with Asbestos Related Diseases

In accordance with state laws, Arizona mesothelioma patients and others who have developed serious health complications as a result of on the job asbestos exposure normally have approximately two years to file against employers for work related injuries, but their legal options are not limited to filing in state courts. They may also be eligible to settle their legal issues in federal courts, ensuring they receive just compensation for damages incurred as a result of their illness.

Arizona mesothelioma attorneys are available to assist patients and their families with assessing their legal options on an individual basis. Many patients may not have immediate access to resources that can help them to effectively link their illness to past employment or other responsible sources, therefore contacting an experienced asbestos attorney in Arizona may be an important step to holding liable parties responsible and getting the compensation they are entitled to under the law.