South Dakota: Mesothelioma Law Firm Seeking Justice for SD Asbestos Victims

Pierre, South Dakota, July 5, 2015, 2015 – Mesothelioma lawyers from the national asbestos litigation firm of Levy Konigsberg LLP (“LK”) Are continuing to help South Dakota 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 South Dakota. Even more are diagnosed with lung cancer and asbestosis. All of these asbestos-related diseases could have been prevented if workers in South Dakota had been properly protected from exposure to asbestos.

Hydroelectric Power Facilities

For decades, hydroelectric power facilities in South Dakota have supplied power to people and businesses. Of all the Midwest states, South Dakota is the largest producer of hydroelectric power. A hydroelectric power generating station consists of three core parts: a power plant where electricity is generated, a dam to collect and control water, and a reservoir where water can be stored. Over the course of sixty years, thousands of individuals, independent contractors and other workers have performed work at these major worksites.

The generation of power at these South Dakota power plants required the use of large, high-temperature equipment. Turbines, boilers, furnaces, cooling towers and ovens were installed, maintained and repaired on a regular basis. 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 New Hampshire power plants were exposed to high levels of asbestos dust from their work with or around these products.

Major hydroelectric power worksites in North Dakota include:

Big Bend Dam

• Forth Thompson, South Dakota
• Construction began in 1959.
• Generation began in 1964

Fort Randall Dam

• Pickstown, South Dakota
• Work began in 1944.
• Power generation began in 1954.

Gavins Point Dam

• Yankton, South Dakota
• Construction began in 1954.
• Power generation began in 1957.

Oahe Dam

• Pierre, South Dakota
• Construction began in 1948.
• Power generation in 1962.

Tradesmen of various skills were exposed to asbestos at powerhouses constructed and operated throughout the nation. Jerome H. Block, an LK partner, represented a skilled tradesperson who was exposed to airborne asbestos created by the work of contractors installing various asbestos-containing products at a Long Island power plant. Employees, independent contractors and other visitors of these power plants were regularly exposed to asbestos while performing their work duties. Attorneys at LK are skilled in identifying the asbestos exposures suffered by constructors and employees of these power plants. For more information on this LK power plant case, click here.

Ellsworth Air Force Base

Located in Rapid City, the Ellsworth Air Force base is home to the 28th Bomb Unit and various aviation operations. Commissioned in 1941, the Ellsworth Air Force Base is responsible for ensuring a well-maintained fleet of airworthy bombers. Between the 1940s and 1990s, thousands of military and civilian personnel have completed significant maintenance and repair work at the base.

Often overlooked is the breadth of work that occurs at military bases. While service and repair of aviation equipment and automobiles was prevalent and readily recognizable, other critical operations, including construction and upkeep of various facilities, the installation and operation of machinery, and the repair of supporting equipment, including pumps, valves, boilers and furnaces, was undertaken on a regular basis. Many skilled military personnel and civilian employees, including mechanics, boilermakers, insulators, steam workers, and machinists, worked with and around asbestos-containing equipment.

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 South Dakota 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.

South Dakota Farms

Over 98% of farms in South Dakota are family owned. Generations of families in South Dakota have farmed the land. In South Dakota, there are approximately 30,000 independent farms. LK admires the independent attitude and work ethic of farming families. We are proud to represent farmers and their families throughout the country.

Common sources of asbestos exposures suffered by farmers and their employees include farming equipment and building materials:

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.

Other Industrial Worksites

Regardless of where you worked, mesothelioma 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 South Dakota, 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.

South Dakota Worksites:

• AH Bennett Corporation
• Aberdeen Light & Power Company (Aberdeen)
• Aberdeen Mill Company (Aberdeen)
• Amdak Corporation
• Belle Fourche Landfill
• Big Bend Dam
• Big Stone City Power Plant
• Brookings Landfill
• Brookings Municipal Light & Power (Aberdeen)
• Browns Landfill
• City Auditorium (Yankton)
• Consolidated Coal Company
• Dakota Midland Hospital (Aberdeen)
• Ellsworth Air Force Base
• Fort Randall Dam
• Gavins Point Dam
• Hald & Fleer
• Kanal Pine (Yankton)
• Lincoln Hall (Aberdeen)
• MacArthur Company
• Missile Silos (Minot)
• Mitchell Landfill
• Northwestern Public Service Company (Aberdeen)
• Oahe Dam
• Pathfinder Power Plant
• Pierre Landfill
• Rapid City Air Force Base (Rapid City)
• Red Ball Warehouse
• Risager Plumbing & Heating (Aberdeen)
• Sioux Fall Landfill
• South Dakota State College Facilities (Brookings)
• St. Luke Hospital Power Pit (Aberdeen)
• Tri-County Landfill
• Vermillion Landfill
• Walworth County Landfill
• Watertown Landfill
• Xcel Energy
• Yankton Industrial Alcohol Corp. (Yankton)

If you or your loved one are a South Dakota resident or were exposed to asbestos in South Dakota, 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 1-800-MESO-LAW (1-800-637-6529) or by submitting an email inquiry (see form above). 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.

For more information about the law firm's practice areas please contact Levy Konigsberg LLP at (800) 315-3806, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.