Iowa: Mesothelioma Attorneys Help IA Asbestos Exposure Victims

DES MOINES, IOWA – MESOTHELIOMA ATTORNEYS FROM THE NATIONAL ASBESTOS LITIGATION FIRM OF LEVY KONIGSBERG LLP (“LK”) ARE CONTINUING TO HELP IOWA 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 Iowa. Even more are diagnosed with lung cancer and asbestosis. All of these asbestos-related diseases could have been prevented if workers had been properly protected from exposure to asbestos.

Mesothelioma attorneys at LK are skilled in identifying the unique asbestos exposures suffered by individuals who resided or worked in Iowa.

Iowa Agriculture

Comprised of 55,875 square miles, over 90% of the land in Iowa is used for agriculture purposes. Rough estimates count the number of farms throughout Iowa at 92,200. Between the 1950s and 1990s, the average acreage of farms in Iowa quickly grew, from 169 acres in 1950 to 322 acres in 1990. Generations of families in Iowa tirelessly worked their crop fields or tended to livestock. Attorneys at LK understand the backbreaking effort, dedication and skill necessary to maintain such large operations. If you or a loved one were diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness due to work on a farm, we will vigorously investigate all sources of your asbestos exposure. After decades of physical, financial and emotional investment into their agricultural ventures, farmers in Iowa deserve the strongest legal advocacy possible.

Agriculture Machinery

Much of the equipment used by farmers and their employees required brakes, clutches and other automotive components, including gaskets, seals, flanges and manifolds. Farming equipment, including tractors, cultivators, seeders, layers, planters, spreaders, sorters, fertilizing equipment, balers, mowers, toppers, backhoes, loaders, cutters, traction engines, threshing machines hog oilers as well as trucks and cars, were routinely used on Iowa farms. Many farmers personally maintained this equipment, regularly performing required maintenance, including brake and clutch replacements as well as removal and installation of gaskets and seals. Although manufacturers of automotive components were aware of the dangers associated with exposure to asbestos as far back as the 1930s and 1940s, much of this automotive equipment incorporated asbestos through to the 1990s. Farmers and other employees were regularly exposed to asbestos while maintaining equipment critical to their operations.

Farm Buildings

Between the 1930s and 1970s, many of the materials used in construction and repair of buildings and other structures contained asbestos. Joint compounds, floor tiles, ceiling tiles, wallboard, paint and other products contained asbestos which became airborne upon use. Farmers and other employees who built, maintained or repaired structures on their property may have been exposed to asbestos while working with or around these products. Mesothelioma attorneys at LK are experienced in identifying asbestos exposures suffered by individuals who built or repaired such structures.

Fort Dodge

Located along the Des Moines River in North Central Iowa, Fort Dodge was a hub for commercial industry for several decades. Meatpacking plants, construction-supply and gypsum manufacturers operated plants and facilities for several decades. Some of the major employers in Fort Dodge included:

• Bestwall Gypsum;
• Celotex;
• CertainTeed;
• Georgia Pacific;
• Great Western Cereal Company;
• Iowa Beef Processors and Hormel
• Universal Gypsum Company.

Due to the presence of numerous industrial employers in Fort Dodge, insulators, plumbers, electricians, pipefitters, chemical operators, machinists, boilermakers, engineers and many other trades were routinely exposed to asbestos. Many tradespeople employed at these factories, warehouses, and manufacturing facilities regularly worked with and around asbestos-containing materials. During your free consultation, an LK attorney will review your employment history and discuss the investigation of asbestos exposure at your worksites.

Military Bases

Between the 1930s and 1980s, thousands of military personnel and civilian employees were stationed at Army bases located in Iowa. Many skilled military personnel and civilian employees, including mechanics, boilermakers, machinists and other trades, worked with and around asbestos-containing equipment. The following bases were operated for over a century in Iowa:

• Camp Dodge Army Base, Johnston, IA (Est. 1907);
• Fort Des Moines Army Base, Des Moines, IA (Est. 1843);
• Iowa Army Ammunition Plant, Des Moines, IA (Est. 1940).

If you or a loved one were stationed or employed at one of these Iowa military bases and have developed an asbestos-related disease, an attorney at LK will assist you in identifying all possible exposures of asbestos you may have suffered while on a military base.

Iowa Power Plants

Available statistics show that Iowa ranks 16th in the nation in coal power generation, with 72 coal-fired power units spread throughout the state. Thousands of individuals were employed at these power plants in various positions, including laborers, millwrights, pipefitters, insulators, furnace technicians, boilermakers, plumbers and electricians. LK mesothelioma attorneys will help you or your family identify all possible asbestos exposures suffered at these Iowa power plants.

The generation of power in Iowa required the use of large, high-temperature equipment. Boilers, furnaces, turbines, cooling towers and ovens were installed, maintained and repaired at these power plants. This equipment required large amounts of asbestos-containing products to properly function. Other products, including pumps, valves, motors, wire, cable, heaters, air conditioning units, gaskets, packing, chillers, and steam traps were necessary to allow the powerhouses to properly function. Individuals working at these Iowa power plants were exposed to high levels of asbestos dust from their work with or around these products.

Iowa worksites where asbestos exposure was common include:

Figure 1. Map of the most common asbestos exposure worksites in the State of Iowa.

• AG Processing Inc. (Sergeant Bluff, IA)
• Aluminum Company of America (Riverdale, IA)
• Apco Oil Corporation (Fort Dodge, IA)
• ATT (Boone, IA)
• Berkley & Company (Spirit Lake, IA)
• Bestwall Gypsum (Fort Dodge, IA)
• Cargill (Eddyville, IA)
• Carnation Company (Waverly, IA)
• Cedar Falls Municipal Utilities (Cedar Falls, IA)
• Celotex Corporation (Fort Dodge, IA)
• Corn Belt Power Coop. (Spencer, IA)
• Council Bluffs Powerhouse (Council Bluffs, IA)
• Crystal Heating & Plumbing (Waverly, IA)
• Davenport Works (Riverdale, IA)
• Eddyville Powerhouse (Eddyville, IA)
• Fort Dodge (Fort Dodge, IA)
• George Neal Station (Salix, IA)
• Georgia Pacific (Fort Dodge, IA)
• Great Western Cereal Company (Fort Dodge, IA)
• Griffin Pipe (Council Bluffs, IA)
• Hawkeye Laundry Company (Boone, IA)
• Iowa Electric Light & Power (Statewide, IA)
• Iowa Pubic Service Station (Salix, IA)
• Iowa Southern Utilities Company (Statewide, IA)
• Iowa State Hospital (Independence, IA)
• Iron Public Service (Salix, IA)

• John Neff Paper Company (Cedar Falls, IA)
• Lehy Bridge & Tile (Fort Dodge, IA)
• Marshall Canning Company (Waverly, IA)
• Maytag Company (Newton, IA)
• Midamerican Energy Company (Council Bluffs, IA)
• Midwest Power (Council Bluffs, IA)
• M.W. Kellog Company (Fort Dodge, IA)
• National Gypsum (Fort Dodge, IA)
• Northwestern Construction Company (Boone, IA)
• Oscar Mayer & Company (Perry, IA)
• Osmundson Manufacturing Company (Perry, IA)
• Paper Manufacturing Company (Cedar Falls, IA)
• Perry Packing Company (Perry, IA)
• Power Service Corp. (Spencer, IA)
• Quinn Wire & Iron Company (Boone, IA)
• Sage Facilities (Sergeant Bluff, IA)
• Spencer Veneer Products (Spencer, IA)
• Terra Chemical International (Sergeant Bluff, IA)
• Tipton Power Plant (Tipton, IA)
• Union Pacific Railroad Company (Council Bluffs, IA)
• Universal Gypsum Company (Fort Dodge, IA)
• Van Camp Packing Company (Perry, IA)
• Wabash Power (Spencer, IA)
• Wiese Corp. (Perry, IA)
• Wolf Creek Generating Station (Wolf Creek, IA)

If you or your loved one are an Iowa resident or were exposed to asbestos in Iowa, and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, please call (800) 315-3806 or submit an email inquiry on this website to receive a FREE consultation with mesothelioma attorneys 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.