Asbestos Lawyers Discuss the Implications
Last month, a group of over 100 industrial workers filed a lawsuit against Long Island’s Nassau Coliseum, alleging that they suffered mesothelioma cancer and other respiratory conditions due to asbestos exposure.
The lawsuit alleges that current and former stadium employees, including independent contractors, were negligently exposed to asbestos and other hazardous materials over their decades of work at the crumbling stadium. This case comes almost a year after OSHA cited the arena on 16 different violations of workplace safety standards, many of which were related to asbestos exposure. The levied fines came close to $88,000.
Will the Nassau Coliseum Complaints Become a Class Action Lawsuit?
Although it is not a class action lawsuit at this time, the workers harmed may be certified as a class, whereby the individual complaints will be consolidated into one case. The lawsuit seeks damages between $500 million to $1 billion. This is due to both the high cost of treating mesothelioma cancer and other respiratory conditions, in addition to lost wages, pain and suffering and other serious damages caused by asbestos exposure. So far, it was reported that one woman alleged the exposure caused the wrongful death of her husband.
Asbestos Exposure Continues to Plague Workers
The first asbestos-related claims began in 1929, and the number of lawsuits has increased steadily in the intervening decades. Asbestos was first regulated in 1970 – only 2 years before the Nassau Coliseum opened to the public. Since then, millions of affected workers have filed suit against the negligent manufacturers who exposed them to toxic materials.
It is a myth that asbestos lawsuits are a thing of the past. As we see with the high profile case against the Nassau Coliseum, there is still a great many workers affected by asbestos and there will continue to be in the future. An unfortunate aspect of asbestos is that it takes decades for symptoms of mesothelioma to appear, and many workers are not diagnosed with cancer until the disease has progressed. Long-term exposure to asbestos can result in incredibly serious medical conditions:
- Mesothelioma cancer
- Lung cancer
- Asbestosis
- Throat cancer
If you or a loved one was diagnosed with a disease or injury due to asbestos exposure, you may be entitled to compensation for your pain, suffering and medical expenses. Contact our mesothelioma law firm today to speak with one of our experienced asbestos attorneys.