$6.95 Million Verdict Against Union Pacific in Asbestos Case
OAKLAND, CA – An Oakland jury recently returned a $6.95 million verdict against Union Pacific in an asbestos case. The case was filed against Union Pacific under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act on behalf of a 69 year old retired boilermaker who had been diagnosed with mesothelioma. Union Pacific defended the case asserting that the worker did not […]
Railroad Workers at Risk for Mesothelioma, Lung Cancer and Other Asbestos-Related Diseases
The railroad industry has consistently ranked among one of the most dangerous industries to work in. However, in addition to the immediate hazard posed by moving equipment, many railroad workers have also been exposed to a much more silent and often overlooked hazard – occupational exposure to harmful dusts. Unlike the immediate hazard created by […]
Washington Appeals Court Upholds $4.5 Million Asbestos Verdict
SEATTLE, WA – The Washington State Court of Appeals recently upheld a $4.5 million damage award in an asbestos lawsuit filed against Caterpillar, Inc. According to court documents, Edwin Estenson served in the United States Navy from 1948 to 1952. While serving in the Navy, Estenson worked for three months aboard the USS Curtiss on repairs working with asbestos-containing […]
New Study on Asbestos-Related Lung Cancer and Mesothelioma
According to a recent article published by Steven Markowitz, M.D., Dr.PH, in Seminars in Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (2015; 36:334-346), an estimated 107,000 people die annually from lung cancer, malignant mesothelioma, and asbestosis due to occupational asbestos exposure. The cancer risk increases with cumulative asbestos exposure, with an increased risk of cancer even at low […]
Kilgore College Will Investigate Improper Asbestos Removal Claims
Allegations have surfaced suggesting the repeated improper removal of asbestos from Kilgore College in Kilgore, Texas. Two of the school’s trustees have responded by saying that the allegations will be addressed by the school. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and Texas State Department of Health Services received sworn statements by three college employees who […]
Railroad Asbestos Claims
OVER $30 BILLION DOLLARS have been set aside in bankruptcy trusts by the manufacturers of asbestos-containing products to compensate workers who were exposed to asbestos. Payments from these trusts are based on a number of factors including historic settlement values, disease and injury classifications, and individual exposure history. For most claims, the worker must have five […]
Asbestos In Railroad Locomotives, Equipment & Buildings
FORT WORTH, TEXAS – According to documents produced by BNSF Railway Company, many Asbestos-Containing Materials (ACM) were installed on locomotives and railcars. The materials identified include: fabric wrap on water and steam lines; fabric wrap on compressor and governor lines; gaskets; and brake and clutch linings. Likewise, Asbestos-Containing Materials were also present in various building materials including: floor […]
EPA Documents Prove Large Amounts of Asbestos At Union Pacific Railroad’s Shops in Omaha, Nebraska
The United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7, has released numerous records documenting the presence of asbestos-containing materials at the Union Pacific Railroad Company’s shops in Omaha, Nebraska. The documents were released under a Freedom of Information Act Request (EPA-R7-2014-004329) filed by attorney J. Kirkland Sammons with the law firm of Sammons & Berry, P.C., in Houston, Texas. Mr. Sammons […]
PROTECT ASBESTOS VICTIMS – OPPOSE H.R. 982, the FACT Act
Don’t let Big Asbestos Continue to Delay, Deny, and Lie Almost two decades ago, OSHA observed that “it was aware of no instance in which exposure to a toxic substance has more clearly demonstrated detrimental health effects on humans than has asbestos exposure.” Yet asbestos use is still legal in the U.S. despite the fact […]
Federal Court Denies Union Pacific’s Motion for Separate Trials in Asbestos Case
TYLER, TEXAS On January 2, 2013, the Honorable Zack Hawthorne, United States Magistrate, Eastern District of Texas, entered an order denying Union Pacific Railroad Company’s to sever the claims of four former employees who had filed suit alleging personal injuries resulting from their exposure to asbestos while employed by Union Pacific. Union Pacific sought to […]