Tag Archives: veterans

Boiler Insulation & Asbestos

A Wisconsin Navy veteran contacted me several years ago.  This Naval veteran had served on the USS Tattnall as a boiler technician.   He was suffering with mesothelioma that was caused by years of asbestos exposure while serving in our U.S. Navy.  This exposure to asbestos fibers took place while he worked in the boilerrooms surrounded by asbestos covered pipes on the U.S. Tattnall.  He had been diagnosed by asbestos doctors at the Veteran’s Administration.  Sadly, he passed away as a result of the mesothelioma.

Boiler insulation is a very common culprit in asbestos mesothelioma cases, including those involving U.S. Naval Veterans who worked on ships.  The removal of this thermal insulation from boilers, pipes, tanks and ducts, which was common in all boilerrooms, caused the asbestos fibers to be released into the air.  When repairs or maintenance was required, whether in ships or industrial applications, the insulation was a friable form of asbestos that could easily emit fibers easily into the air.  Similarly, fibrous fluffy sprayed-on asbestos products used for fireproofing, insulation, or sound proofing were quite friable and could readily release airborne asbestos fibers.  The potential for asbestos products to release breathable fibers was extremely hazardous to all those working in industrial occupations, especially with respect to boiler insulation.

We were able to successfully help this man’s family as we have many Navy veterans and veterans who served in other branches of the U.S. armed forces.  We have also helped numerous boilermakers, plumbers and others exposed to asbestos in similar occupations.  To date, we have helped the families of these mesothelioma victims living in Milwaukee, and other areas of Wisconsin, to recover more than $25,000,000.00.  That we know of, no other local asbestos law firm has had this type of success.  In fact, even so-called “national firms” have had limited success in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Mesothelioma Cases and Awards

Each asbestos mesothelioma case is different.  Thus, awards typically vary from six figures to eight figures since wrongful death by mesothelioma is horrible.  Our Wisconsin mesothelioma lawyers  have had excellent results working on behalf of asbestos victims and their families.  In the last five years, we have helped these families recover more than $21,000,000.00.

Again, every case is different, but to give you an idea of the type of case that was successful, I summarize one below.

John Doe was born and lived in Wisconsin most of his life.  He grew up in the Milwaukee area and lived in the Fox Valley for many years.  After retirement, his pulmonologist diagnosed him with pleural mesothelioma after a lung biopsy and PET Scan.  Mr. Doe had served in the U.S. Navy after high school, a typical fact for many mesothelioma victims, and was exposed to asbestos in the power systems, HVAC systems and mechanicals of various ships and at shipyards.

After serving in the armed forces, Mr. Doe also did a lot of maintenance and machinist work involving plumbing, electrical power, utilities, insulation, boilers, water systems, pumps, and hydraulics.  He worked many years for a couple of the Wisconsin companies facing asbestos litigation or alleged to have some link to asbestos or mesothelioma.

Mr. Doe’s mesothelioma eventually killed him, but before he died, he was most worried about his family and how they would do after he passed.  Though he died shortly after I met him, we continued to work for his family and eventually recovered more than $3,500,000.00.

Wiscsonsin Asbestos Bankruptcy Trusts Bill

Wisconsin legislators, at the behest for ALEC and the Wisconsin Civil Justice Council, are at it again.  Over the course of the last two years, they have combined to completely decimate asbestos and mesothelioma victims’ legal rights.  These victims are typically senior citizens who have served our country in the armed forces, especially the Navy, or who were construction laborers, plumbers, electricians, etc.  Most of these victims are dying a horrible death suffocating from the asbestos they breathed in over the course of their service.  These Wisconsin citizens and Veterans are dying and yet these Wisconsin legislators, primarily Republicans, like Andre Jacque of De Pere, are shilling for big businesses and insurance companies.  Representative Jacque apparently doesn’t care that only 9 asbestos related lawsuits were even filed in Wisconsin in 2012.  No, instead he seeks to make sure that any remaining Wisconsin victims of asbestos and mesothelioma will not get justice.

The law Jacque, ALEC, and the Wisconsin Civil Justice Council propose compels that asbestos victims bring all Asbestos Bankruptcy Trust claims first, before bringing a lawsuit against non-bankrupt asbestos companies, like Halliburton, Union Carbide, utilities, and others. The goal is to reduce asbestos victims’ recoveries and delay mesothelioma victims’ ability to get their day in court before the die. Jacque apparently does not want to hear the latter, but that’s the tragic result of the law he has proposed. Clearly, Jacque has never had a family member die from asbestos-related disease or mesothelioma.

Wisconsin asbestos mesothelioma lawyers

Electricians & Veterans Mesothelioma

I’ve written before about U.S. Navy Veterans with mesothelioma.  Sadly, the asbestos exposure many veterans had while serving in the armed forces is what causes mesothelioma.  Quite recently, I met with a mesothelioma victim diagnosed here in Wisconsin.  He’s a veteran who served at Great Lakes Naval Base and on various U.S. Navy ships.  In addition, he had a long history of working at Western Electric in Cicero, Illinois, where he was also exposed to asbestos laced products.  As Veteran’s Day approaches, we need to remember all the Naval Veterans who have served and to honor those still with us, many of whom have asbestos-related diseases like malignant mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma cases

Mesothelioma caused by asbestos is a typical case handled by my Wisconsin personal injury law firm.  So for my first post, I thought I’d describe one to give readers a general idea of what type of case I handle involving asbestos.

We will call the client Mr. Smith.  Mr. Smith lived in Wisconsin and was diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma.  It was discovered via biopsy and he had other medical tests including a PET Scan and lung tap.  Mr. Smith was 65 years old.  Out of high school, he joined the U.S. Navy where he served as an auxiliaryman working with asbestos in HVAC and mechanical systems.   While in the Navy Reserves, he also worked with asbestos in various shipyards.  Ships he remembers serving on included submarines and a destroyer and the shipyards he worked in included Baimbridge, Charleston, Portsmith, Norfolk, Philadelphia, and Groton.  After serving in the Navy, Mr. Smith worked at a Wisconsin Electric Power Plant in a boiler room, another area replete with asbestos.  He then worked at a large medical center in Wisconsin doing mechanical work.  He was frequently in areas with pipes, boilers, and insulation all replete with asbestos.

When I met him, Mr. Smith was suffering with breathing difficulties caused by his mesothelioma.  He was somewhat angry with asbestos companies, but was more scared and worried about his family.  Mr. Smith died within nine months of hiring me to help  and though it’s of little consolation to his family, we worked to obtain more than $1,500,000.00 for them.  Every case is handled based on the facts, and the facts in his tragic case warranted this.  Though I could not do anything for Mr. Smith’s fear and anger, I take comfort in knowing that his family is being helped by my efforts.