Maryland: Mesothelioma Lawyers Help MD Asbestos Exposure Victims

ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND – MESOTHELIOMA LAWYERS FROM THE NATIONAL ASBESTOS LITIGATION FIRM OF LEVY KONIGSBERG LLP (“LK”) ARE CONTINUING TO HELP MD MESOTHELIOMA PATIENTS AND FAMILIES OBTAIN LEGAL COMPENSATION FROM COMPANIES THAT MANUFACTURED, SOLD OR USED ASBESTOS-CONTAINING PRODUCTS.

Every year, thousands of men and women across the country are diagnosed with mesothelioma, including many in Maryland. Even more are diagnosed with lung cancer and asbestosis. According to statistics compiled by the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, not only does Maryland rank eighteenth in the nation for mesothelioma mortality rates, but Maryland’s Anne Arundel County was listed as one of the twenty counties in the country with the highest malignant mesothelioma rates. All of these asbestos-related diseases could have been prevented if workers had been properly protected from exposure to asbestos.

Due to the presence of a large shipyard industry, numerous power plants and other industrial employers throughout Maryland, shipyard employees, powerhouse employees, insulators, plumbers, laborers, electricians, pipefitters, chemical operators, machinist, boilermakers, engineers and many other trades were routinely exposed to asbestos on a daily basis at their places of employment. Mesothelioma lawyers at LK have extensive experience in investigating these occupational exposures.

Shipbuilding in Maryland

For over a century, the state of Maryland experienced a rich history of shipbuilding activity throughout various coastal locations. Thousands of Maryland citizens were employed at these shipyards, where they built and repaired vessels for the U.S. Navy and commercial customers. The construction and repair of vessels at these shipyards exposed countless individuals to high levels of asbestos dust. Attorneys at LK are experienced in investigating asbestos exposures that occurred at these shipyards:

Bethlehem Shipyard (Sparrows Point, MD)

Located along the Patapsco River, the Bethlehem Steel Sparrows Point Shipyard in Baltimore, Maryland employed generations of families during its vibrant history. At one time, Bethlehem Shipbuilding was the largest employer in Maryland with over 30,000 workers on the company’s payroll. With a ship building history dating back to 1891, the 226-acre property quickly expanded over a century to include ship construction and detailed repair and overhaul operations. Employees, independent contractors, military personnel and other visitors of the Sparrows Point Shipyard were at a high risk of suffering exposures to various asbestos-containing materials.

Between the 1940s and 1980s, employees of the Sparrows Shipyard constructed, repaired and serviced ships and vessels including U.S. Navy Liberty Ships and ammunition ships as well as private-sector tankers, dry bulk carriers, cargo ships, dredges, car floats, ore carriers, freight barges, hopper barges, lakers, breakbulks, crude carriers and many other transportation vessels. Construction and repair of these vessels required the presence of numerous tradespeople, including pipefitters, insulators, plumbers, electricians, millwrights, machinists, boilermakers, laborers, engineers and many other trades. Unfortunately, many of the machines, equipment and components installed and repaired on these vessels contained asbestos. Many individuals present while vessels at the Sparrows Shipyard were constructed or overhauled were exposed to asbestos.

Annapolis Yacht Yard

Situated on Spa Creek in Annapolis, Maryland, employees and independent contractors working at the Annapolis Yacht Yard constructed and serviced various vessels.

Originally, the Annapolis Yacht Yard was operated by “Chance Marine Construction,” which constructed numerous torpedo boats and patrol crafts for the U.S. Navy and Cuban Navy (1950s only) between the 1940s and late 1960s. Thereafter, the shipyard was sold to John Trumpy & Sons, and yacht construction was soon undertaken. Employees and independent contractors of the Annapolis Yacht Yard constructed and overhauled numerous U.S. Navy vessels and private yachts. Between the 1940s and 1980s, asbestos was commonly found in much of the machinery, equipment and components installed and replaced on U.S. Navy vessels and yachts. Many Maryland employees, independent contractors, military personnel and other shipyard visitors were exposed to asbestos while present at the Annapolis Yacht Yard.

Maryland Shipbuilding & Drydock

Located in Baltimore, the Maryland Shipbuilding and Drydock Company employed thousands of Maryland citizens between 1930 and 1976. This shipyard primarily constructed and repaired vessels for private companies, including tankers, ferries, support ships and container ships. Although many ships were constructed here, the company specialized in conversions, upgrades and repairs. Numerous U.S. Navy warships were converted by the Maryland Shipbuilding & Drydock Company. Individuals present at the shipyard operated by Maryland Shipbuilding & Drydock Company were exposed to high levels of asbestos dust.

U.S. Coast Guard Yard

Since 1899, shipbuilding operations have been carried out at the Curtis Bay Shipyard in Anne Arundel County, near Baltimore. As the Coast Guard’s only shipbuilding and repair facility, extensive construction and overhaul work has occurred in Curtis Bay for over a century. Hundreds of patrol boats, light ships, cutters, and lifeboats were constructed and repaired at this shipyard. Activities at Curtis Bay were especially heavy during war times, with increased output during WWII and the Vietnam War. Civilian employees, military personnel and independent contractors were exposed to asbestos-containing products during construction and overhauls completed at the Curtis Bay Shipyard.

Vessel construction and overhaul activities at these Maryland shipyards typically occurred in cramped spaces with poor ventilation systems resulting in regular exposure to high levels of asbestos dust. Shipyard employees, independent contractors and military personnel regularly worked with and around equipment and machinery that required asbestos-containing materials. Workers at frequently used or were exposed to asbestos dust from gaskets, packing, raw asbestos, insulation, and other asbestos-containing materials throughout their time at this shipyard. Mesothelioma lawyers at LK are experienced in identifying the unique asbestos exposures suffered by individuals who were employed at these Maryland shipyards. Despite your job responsibilities, there are many areas of asbestos exposure that an LK attorney will investigate.

Maryland Power Plants

Maryland is home to a significant number of power plants. Companies, including Potomac Electric, Baltimore Gas & Electric, and Northern Electric constructed and operated generating stations, hydroelectric stations, coal-powered plants, and nuclear plants throughout the state. These companies employed individuals in Maryland cities and townships, including Aquasco, Baltimore, Cumberland Dickerson, and Glen Burnie, Unfortunately, many individuals who worked at these Maryland power plants between the 1930s and 1980s were exposed to various asbestos-containing materials installed throughout the power facilities.

The generation of power at these Maryland power plants required the use of large, high-temperature equipment. Turbines, boilers, furnaces, 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 Maryland power plants were exposed to high levels of asbestos dust from their work with or around these products.

Mesothelioma lawyers at LK are experienced in investigating powerhouse worksites. Due to the presence of various pieces of equipment and machinery throughout a power plant, there are many sources of exposure which must be investigated. During your free consultation with an LK attorney, we will explain the traditional and unique exposures suffered by individuals present at a powerhouse.

Other Industry in Maryland

Due to the presence of numerous industrial employers throughout Maryland, insulators, plumbers, electricians, pipefitters, chemical operators, machinists, powerhouse workers, boilermakers, engineers and many other trades were routinely exposed to asbestos. Each year, approximately three thousand men and women across the country, including many in Maryland, are diagnosed with mesothelioma, an aggressive asbestos cancer, due to their work with or around asbestos-containing products. Many tradespeople employed at factories, warehouses, manufacturing facilities and other industrial buildings commonly 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.

Individual Case Review

In Maryland, 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.

Maryland worksites where asbestos exposure was common include:

• Aberdeen Proving Grounds (Aberdeen)
• American Oil (Baltimore)
• Army Chemical Center (Edgewood)
• Annapolis Yacht Yard (Annapolis)
• Baltimore Gas & Electric Company (Baltimore)
• Baltimore Marine Industries (Baltimore)
• Bata Shoe Factory (Aberdeen)
• Bethlehem Sparrows Point Shipyard (Sparrows Point)
• Bethlehem Steel Mill (Baltimore)
• Bethesda Naval Hospital (Bethesda)
• Black River Treatment Plant (Baltimore)
• C&P Telephone Company (Cockeysville)
• Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant (Lusby)
• Calvert Distilling Company (Relay)
• Celanese Fibers Company (Amcelle)
• Cello Corporation (Havre De Grace)
• Chalk Point Power Point (Aquasco)
• Chemetron Chemicals (Elkton)
• Chesapeake Shipbuilding (Salisbury)
• Coast Guard (Baltimore)
• Cochran, Hill & Company (Baltimore)
• Cockpit Point (Beltsville)
• Corps of Engineers
• Curtis Bay Shipyard
• Data Processing Center (Cockeysville)
• Delmarva Power & Light Company (Vienna)
• Eastern Shore Public Service Company of Maryland (Vienna)
• Edgewood Arsenal (Edgewood)
• Edward V. Stockham, Inc. (Havre De Grace)
• Firestone Tire & Rubber (Havre De Grace)
• Fluid Mechanics Lab & Wind Tunnel (Galthersburg)
• Fort Meade (Fort Meade)
• General Electric (Columbia)
• Gidden Research Lab (Baltimore)
• Glen L. Martin Company (Middle River)
• Goddard Space Flight Center (Greenbelt)
• Harbison Walker Refractories (Baltimore)
• Harlan & Bro (Elkton)
• Hochschild Kohn Store (Columbia)

• Howard County General Hospital (Columbia)
• IBM (Bethesda)
• Joseph E. Seagram & Sons, Inc. (Relay)
• Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp. (Halethorpe)
• Key Highway Shipyard (Baltimore)
• Laurel Race Track (Laurel)
• Lehigh Portland Cement Company (Union Bridge)
• Litton Industries (College Park)
• Martin Marietta Company (Middle River)
• Maryland Distilling Company (Relay)
• Maryland Fine Wire Company (Cockeysville)
• Maryland Ship Building & Drydock Company (Baltimore)
• Mirant Corporation (Aquasco)
• N.I.H. Power Plant (Beltsville)
• Noxzema Chemical Company (Cockeysville)
• Philip Carey Manufacturing Company (Gaithersburg)
• Pittsburgh Des Moines Steel (Aberdeen)
• Polywestern Tech (Baltimore)
• Potomac Electric Power Company (Aquasco)
• Public Ledger Paper Mills (Elkton)
• Rice Auditorium (Catonsville)
• Sears Roebuck & Company (Glen Burnie)
• Simkins Industries (Catonsville)
• Takoma Oil Company (Takoma Park)
• Tidewater Portland Cement Company (Union Bridge)
• Tyler Allen & Sons (Vienna)
• Union Hospital (Elkton)
• United States Army (Aberdeen)
• Vienna Power Plant (Vienna)
• W.R. Grace Company (Columbia)
• W.W. Taylor (Havre De Grace)
• Walter E. Campbell Company, Inc. (Beltsville)
• Walter Reed Navy Hospital (Bethesda)
• Washington Gas Light Company (Hyattsville)
• Washington Towers (Galthersburg)
• Westinghouse Plant (Halethorpe)
• West Virginia Pulp & Paper Mill (Luke)
• Westvaco Corporation (Luke)
• Willoughby Works (Beltsville)

If you or your loved one are a Maryland resident or were exposed to asbestos in Maryland, 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 lawyers 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.