Alaska: Mesothelioma Lawyers Assist AK Asbestos Victims

JUNEAU, ALASKA, JULY 5, 2015, 2015 – MESOTHELIOMA LAWYERS FROM THE NATIONAL ASBESTOS LITIGATION FIRM OF LEVY KONIGSBERG LLP (“LK”) ARE CONTINUING TO HELP ALASKA MESOTHELIOMA PATIENTS AND FAMILIES OBTAIN LEGAL COMPENSATION FROM COMPANIES WHO MANUFACTURED, SOLD OR USED ASBESTOS-CONTAINING PRODUCTS.

Every year, thousands of men and women across the country are diagnosed with mesothelioma, including many in Alaska. Even more are diagnosed with asbestos lung cancer and asbestosis. According to statistics compiled by the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, Alaska ranks second in the nation for mesothelioma mortality rates. All of these asbestos-related diseases could have been prevented if workers had been properly protected from exposure to asbestos.

Alaska Petroleum Industry

Supporting one-third of all jobs in Alaska, over 110,000 individuals work in fields directly related to the discovery, production or refining of petroleum products. Petroleum worksites in Alaska include land based and oil rig drilling, oil-exploration construction sites, refineries, pipeline work and storage and transportation services. Attorneys at LK are experienced in investigating the unique exposures suffered by those involved in the petroleum industry. Below are just a few of the industry areas which mesothelioma attorneys at LK will investigate on your behalf:

Worksite Construction – Before exploration, removal or refining can begin, heavy construction is required. Independent contractors and other oil employees built factories, temporary structures and on-site drilling platforms. Between the 1940s and 1980s, many of the materials used in the construction industry contained asbestos. Construction workers and other employees present at these locations were routinely exposed to asbestos-containing materials.

Refineries – Several corporations established processing refineries throughout Alaska. Consisting of hundreds of pieces of equipment and numerous facilities, thousands of employees were required to properly operate these refineries. Equipment, including boilers, furnaces, steam traps, pumps and valves were installed and maintained regularly. Asbestos material, including gaskets, packing, seals, and insulation was regularly installed and replaced on this equipment. Employees, independent contractors and other visitors of these Alaska refiners were regularly exposed to airborne asbestos.

Field Operations – On-site oil retrieval required the installation, operation and maintenance of various pieces of equipment. Between the 1940s and 1980s, much of this equipment incorporated asbestos-containing materials. Workers at these worksites also regularly worked with and around drilling muds and fluids. For several decades, these muds and fluids contained asbestos. Products manufactured by Flosal, Montello and Union Carbide were routinely present at these drilling sites.

Alaska Military Bases

Prior to Alaska’s statehood in 1959, numerous bases were commissioned and constructed by the United States government:

• Clear Air Force Station, Denali Borough (1949)
• Eielson Air Force Base, North Pole (1943)
• Elmendorf Air Force Base, Anchorage (1940)
• Fort Greely Army Base, Fairbanks (1942)
• Fort Richardson Army Base, Anchorage (1940)
• Fort Wainwright Army Base (1939)
• ISC Kodiak Coast Guard Base (1941)

Attorneys at LK have represented numerous victims of mesothelioma who were exposed to asbestos while serving in the military. If you or a loved one were stationed or employed at one of these Alaska military bases and have developed an asbestos-related disease, an asbestos attorney at LK will assist you in identifying all possible exposures of asbestos you may have suffered.

Alaska Shipping Industry

With 47,000 miles of coastline, Alaska is called home by numerous vessel-shipping companies. Shipments originating from Alaska, including petroleum products, minerals, seafood and lumber, have travelled across the world. For decades, many individuals who worked on these vessels were exposed to asbestos. Compartments of the vessels, including the boiler rooms, engine rooms, machine rooms, instrument rooms, and stock rooms, contained machinery and equipment which contained asbestos. Attorneys at LK are skilled in identifying the owners of these vessels and the equipment you or your loved one may have been exposed to while serving on an Alaskan shipping vessel.

Alaska Railroad

In the early 1900s, Congress recognized the dangerous work conditions existing at rail yards across the country. The Federal Employers Liability Act (“FELA”) was enacted for purposes of protecting and compensating rail workers who suffered injuries associated with their rail work. Unlike many other employer-employee relationships, where an injury associated with an employer’s negligence was compensated under restrictive Worker Compensation laws, rail worker injuries are afforded more remedies and greater compensation.

For decades, various railroad personnel were at a high risk of asbestos exposure:

Installers and Maintenance: These individuals laid the railroad tracks and maintained the trains. Equipment, including air and heat machinery, electrical components and insulation, was regularly installed, replaced and repaired. For decades, much of this equipment was either heavily insulated with asbestos or contained asbestos components, like gaskets and packing. Individuals who worked with or around this equipment were exposed to high levels of asbestos dust.

Train Personnel: Train personnel, who traveled on the trains, including engineers, operators, brakeman, switchman and mechanics, were required to know every detail about their trains, from engine heat and speed, to the operation of the train brakes. For decades, train brakes contained large amounts of asbestos. Train personnel were regularly exposed to asbestos when operating the train’s brake and engine.

Other Industrial Worksites

Regardless of where you worked, attorneys at LK will assist your family in identifying the unique asbestos exposures you suffered at your worksite. If you worked at a power plant, oil refinery, manufacturing facility, auto garage, railroad, or delivery service, our attorneys and investigators will work tirelessly to identify each manufacturer and each product which exposed you to asbestos.

Individual Case Review

In Alaska, and across the country, many people also developed mesothelioma from non-occupational asbestos exposures, such as automotive work, home renovations and other hobbies, or from “second-hand asbestos exposure,” which occurred when work clothes contaminated with asbestos were worn home. An experienced LK attorney will assist your family in determining all possible sources of your exposure to asbestos dust.

Alaska Worksites:

• AC&S Inc. (Ketchikan)
• AP DeNange Lumber (Madison)
• Acme Brick Company (Malvern)
• Alaska Insulation (Fort Greeley)
• Alaska Juneau Gold Mining Company (Juneau)
• Alaska Lumber & Pulp Company (Sitka)
• Alaska Pipeline Service Company (Valdez)
• Alaska Steamship Company (Spenard)
• American Oil Company (El Dorado)
• Arco Chemical Company (Prudhoe Bay)
• Army Corps of Engineers (Valdez)
• Bernice Lake Gas Turbine (Bernice Lake)
• Bernice Lake Powerhouse (Nikiski)
• British Petroleum Flow Station (Prudohoe Bay)
• Central Heating Plant (Valdez)
• Chugach Electric (Spendard)
• Dierks Forests (Briar)
• E.C. Andrews (Dawson City Klondike)
• Evans Jones Coal Company (Jonnesville)
• Fort Richardson (Fort Richardson)
• Fort Wainwright (Fort Wainwright)
• Galena Radar Base (Galena)
• General Electric (Berners Bay)
• Glass Container Corporation (Jonesburg)
• Healy River Coal Corp. (Suntrana)
• Helena Gas & Electric Company (Helena)
• Home Power Company (Skagway)
• Hope Brick Works (Hope)

• Industrial Refrigeration & Association (Fort Richardson)
• Jualin Mines Company (Berners bay)
• Ketchikan Pulp Company (Ketchikan)
• Kodiak Naval Station (Kodiak)
• Mallow Construction Company (Clear)
• Matanuska Electric Association (Palmer)
• Nelbro Packing Company (Naknek)
• New England Fish Company (Chatham)
• Nome Mining Company (Nome)
• Northern Consolidated Hangar (Bethel)
• Petro Star Company (Valdez)
• Poinsett Lumber (Truman)
• Process Piping (Drift River)
• R.L. Lawler Inc. (Nome)
• Seward Marine Industrial Center (Seward)
• Seward Ship’s Drydock (Seward)
• Siems Drake Puget Sound (Kodiak)
• Standard Oil (Nikiski)
• Stangard Brake Shoe (Pine Bluff)
• U.S. Air Force Base Shemya (Shemya)
• U.S. Naval Air Facilities (Adak)
• U.S. Rubber Company (Opelika)
• U.S. Submarine Base (Kodiak)
• Union Oil Company (Nikiski)
• Williams Alaska Petroleum (North Pole)
• Yukon Gold Company (Initarod)

If you or your loved one are an Alaska resident or were exposed to asbestos in Alaska, and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, please call 1-800-637-6529 or contact us electronically at www.levylaw.com to receive a FREE consultation with an attorney at Levy Konigsberg LLP.

ATTENTION: Mesothelioma has no known cure and often causes severe pain, suffering, and other types of damage, such as loss of consortium, and loss of income. Additionally, due to the exceedingly high cost of mesothelioma treatments, many families exhaust savings and accumulate financial debt in order to pay for the medical expenses of their family member.

Under the law of most states, pain and suffering from mesothelioma may be compensated through the award of money damages, usually obtained with the help of experienced mesothelioma attorneys. In some states other types of damages may also be recovered.

Asbestos litigation affords mesothelioma victims the opportunity to receive financial compensation and hold accountable the companies that caused their asbestos exposure.

IMPORTANT: If you or your family member has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you should get in touch with a mesothelioma lawyer as early as possible to determine if you have a mesothelioma case and to:

• Preserve your rights to bring a legal action against the responsible parties within the limited time frame allowed by law, known as statute of limitations;
• Obtain maximum compensation in your case by being able to:
  • Preserve evidence and establish facts of the asbestos exposure while the claimant is still alive and able to provide information;
  • File and resolve a lawsuit against the responsible parties before they file for bankruptcy or, if they already have, to obtain compensation before their bankruptcy trust funds run out of money;
• Expedite your case, as courts tend to give higher priority to mesothelioma lawsuits where the claimant is still alive.

Find out whether you have a case by speaking to one of our experienced mesothelioma lawyers via our 24/7 toll-free hotline at (800) 315-3806 or submit an email inquiry. Our attorneys will be quick to respond to you and happy to answer all of your questions.

NOTE: While our offices are located in the states of New York, New Jersey, and Georgia, many of our mesothelioma lawyers are licensed to practice law in a number of U.S. states and have the capability and extensive experience of representing mesothelioma clients throughout the United States. You are encouraged to contact us with any questions.