Oregon Mesothelioma Lawsuit & Lawyer Help

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Mesothelioma is a cancer of the tissue that lines the lungs, abdominal organs, and heart. The most common form is the lung variety of the disease called pleural mesothelioma.

Malignant mesothelioma is a rare but severe cancer that usually occurs in people who worked in jobs where they inhaled or swallowed asbestos particles. After the initial exposure to asbestos, it can take 10 to 40 years for malignant mesothelioma cancer to form.

Asbestos was used by companies for decades for its heat and fire resistance, but it is a deadly carcinogen and has caused great harm to countless workers.

It can be challenging to tell the difference between mesothelioma and lung cancer. Your physician will use imaging tests and biopsy to determine if you have mesothelioma. Most cases of the disease are diagnosed in stages III or IV, making it difficult to treat. (Medlineplus.gov)

Oregon and Asbestos Exposure

In most cases, asbestos exposure occurs at work. Oregon residents who do not regularly work around asbestos have a low risk of being exposed to the carcinogen.

There are 22 sites in the state that contain asbestos, including 12 natural asbestos deposits and three asbestos mines. Multnomah and Clackamas counties have the highest number of asbestos-related deaths in Oregon.

Oregon Sites of Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos was frequently used for decades in the Oregon industry, including shipbuilding, chemical plants, and manufacturing. If you worked in these industries in Oregon before 1980, you could have been exposed. (mesothelioma.com)

Asbestos

Asbestos was produced at three sites in Oregon, such as the Mount Vernon Deposit, the Raspberry Creek Deposit, and the LEJ Asbestos mine. Mining for asbestos was one of the most hazardous ways to be exposed to asbestos. The complex process of extracting asbestos from the earth and taking it to the processing facility was extremely dangerous.

Workers were seldom provided with safety gear that protected them from exposure. Even though the mining companies generally knew that asbestos exposure was dangerous, they did not invest in training and equipment to keep employees safe from harm.

Shipbuilding

Oregon is a coastal state, so it is a prime location for shipyards. Some of the biggest shipyards in the state are Albina Shipyards, Dyer Shipyard, and Willamette Shipyard. But shipyard workers are some of the most at risk for asbestos cancer and related diseases. Asbestos was used frequently in the construction and repair of ships from the early 1900s until the 1970s. Fires on ships are very dangerous, and asbestos was used throughout the vessels to prevent fires from spreading onboard. (mesothelioma.com)

Chemical Plants

Asbestos was very useful in many industries in Oregon, and the chemical industry was no exception. Asbestos is strongly resistant to heat and chemical reactions that make it a seemingly perfect product to use in the construction of chemical plants and the machinery employees used.

Rhone-Poulenc Chemical Plant and Borden Chemical Plant made many chemicals in plants where asbestos was present in the buildings and machines.

Paper Mills

Paper and lumber mills are still common in Oregon and are a major player in the state economy. As with chemical plants, these facilities used asbestos often in the building materials and in the equipment. Many Oregon paper mills have asbestos in them, such as St. Helens Pulp and Paper Company and Willamette Paper Mill.

Manufacturing

Oregon companies such as Oregon Sugar Company and General Supply Companies used older buildings that have asbestos in their construction. Asbestos was so plentiful into the 1980s that it was used in many buildings, schools, and homes. Its heavy use in construction and in all types of equipment put workers in these facilities at high risk of asbestos exposure.

Oregon Job Sites with Asbestos Exposure

Some of the job sites and locations in Oregon that are known to have been contaminated with asbestos include:

  • Northwest Marine Ironworks
  • South Portland Shipyard
  • Swan Island Shipyard
  • Martin-Marietta Aluminum Co.
  • Chiloquin Lumber & Box Company
  • Burns Air Force Station

Oregon Asbestos Exposure Laws

The state of Oregon has asbestos laws and regulations in place for homeowners and for contractors and businesses. (Oregon.gov).

Contractors, business owners, and landlords must identify and abate asbestos-containing materials before they perform any renovation or demolition of buildings in the state.

Homeowners are required to only use licensed asbestos abatement contractors when rehabbing a home that is known to contain asbestos. (See homeowner asbestos removal guidelines). Homeowners must also have an asbestos survey done before renovation or demolition by a contractor if the home was built before 2004. (Oregon.gov)

Oregon Mesothelioma Attorneys

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma in Oregon, consider speaking with one of these Oregon mesothelioma attorneys:


Nelson, MacNeil, & Rayfield

1400 SW Montgomery St.

Portland, Oregon, 97201

www.nelsonmacneil.com

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you have two years to file a mesothelioma cancer lawsuit after death or from the date of diagnosis. That is why it is critical to speak to an experienced mesothelioma attorney as soon as you can. To learn more about your legal rights, talk to Nelson, MacNeil, & Rayfield today.


Kroll & Johnson P.C.

521 SW Clay Street Suite 209

Portland, Oregon, 97201

(971) 205-3266

www.pdxinjurylawyers.com

For people who are diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may be entitled to compensation for your past, present, and future medical bills, physical pain and suffering, mental anguish, and loss of enjoyment of life. Kroll & Johnson P.C. stands ready to help you get the compensation you deserve.


Bergman Draper Oslundo Udo

821 2nd Avenue, Suite 2100

Seattle, Washington, 98104

(206) 957-9510

www.bergmanlegal.com

An asbestos cancer diagnosis is scary, but you may be entitled to mesothelioma compensation if you hire a good mesothelioma law firm such as Bergman Draper Oslundo Udo. You can count on their experienced team for respect, compassionate counsel, and answers to your many legal questions.


Request Immediate Legal Help

With over $30 billion available for victims through asbestos bankruptcy trust funds, you are entitled to financial compensations without ever filing an asbestos, lung cancer or mesothelioma lawsuit. You need legal representation to get started. Mesothelioma & lung cancer victims qualify immediately. Complete the form or call us toll-free (800) 352-0871 immediately..