Ohio Asbestos Lawyer
Representing Hubbard and Youngstown, Ohio Andrews & Hitchcock Iron Workers with Mesothelioma & Asbestos Cancer Claims
Workers at Andrews & Hitchcock in Youngstown, Ohio were exposed to asbestos, and may develop lung diseases, including mesothelioma.
Many former workers at Ohio steel plants have been diagnosed with asbestos-related cancers, and other serious diseases. The bulk of the cases have been proven to be caused by toxic work sites managed by negligent employers in the steel industry.
The fibers from asbestos can be lodged in the lungs, which can cause permanent damage, and in some cases, tumors. Inhaled asbestos fibers can directly cause cancer and other disorders, including mesothelioma.
Nearly any worker in an Ohio steel works could be at risk of developing serious health issues, including asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma.
Joe Lyon is a highly-rated Asbestos Lawyer representing plaintiffs nationwide in a wide variety of toxic tort and mesothelioma claims. The Firm can investigate any toxic exposure issue for Andrews & Hitchcock workers in Youngstown and accepts cases on contingency fees to eliminate any financial risk for the families we represent.
Asbestos Exposure in Andrews & Hitchcock Plant
Asbestos was used in steel plants for building and machinery insulation. Countless Americans in industrial plants in Youngstown, Ohio have been exposed to asbestos. Data from the World Health Organization show about 30 percent of deaths from occupational cancer each year could be caused by toxic exposure.
Asbestos was found in equipment that included the following:
• Ovens
• Hot blast stoves
• Furnaces
• Rolling mills
• Tanks
• Boilers
• Cranes
• Steam pipes
Steel plant positions commonly exposed to asbestos include:
• Pipefitters & Plumbers
• Machinists
• Boilermakers
• Welders
• Insulators
• Maintenance Crews
Asbestos Clothing
In addition to working in the buildings themselves, plant workers at Andrews & Hitchcock were also likely exposed to toxins through protective garments.
The clothing was meant to protect workers from extreme temperatures, though history shows the measures proved fatal in many cases. Toxic fibers within the clothing were released and possibly inhaled by workers at Andrews & Hitchcock.
Breathing asbestos fibers into the lungs could serve as the primary source for victims who develop lung cancer and, possibly mesothelioma.
Symptoms of Mesothelioma
Cases of mesothelioma are often diagnosed 20 years or more after a person was first exposed. By the time symptoms appear, the cancer has most likely reached a later stage.
Symptoms of mesothelioma include the following:
• Pain in the chest and rib area
• Persistent cough
• Trouble breathing
• Mysterious lumps of tissue on the chest and abdomen
• Stomach pains
• Swelling of the abdomen
• Weight loss
Compensation for Former Andrews & Hitchcock Workers
Lawyers claim that asbestos manufacturers knew about potential health dangers of asbestos products but failed to warn anyone, and put profits before steel workers including Andrews & Hitchcock workers.
Workers at Youngstown factories have been involved in asbestos litigation for many years. Ohio steel plants may have a substantial injury claim due to the amount of toxic products they likely were exposed.
Andrews & Hitchcock Asbestos Exposure
The natural breakdown of asbestos products and subsequent sawing or cutting of the material creates dust and fibers that are inhaled and can lead to mesothelioma and other severe forms of lung cancer. Unlike some other ingested toxins which may be flushed from the body over time, the toxic fibers usually remain embedded in the lungs.
When asbestos fibers are released into the air, they can be trapped in the lungs and cause scarring and inflammation.
Secondary exposure is also possible through fibers traveling on a family members clothing. Due to health concerns, all new uses of asbestos were banned in July 1989.
Frequency of Asbestos Related Illness
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) all consider asbestos a known carcinogen.
Each year hundreds of Ohio men and women are diagnosed with lung cancer, pulmonary fibrosis and mesothelioma—asbestos-related illnesses potentially due to past exposure. The vast majority of those who develop lung cancer and mesothelioma worked in an environment where toxins were present.
Workplaces may have been filled with toxic materials, and employers may have failed to warn of the serious health risks of the job. Examples of related illness include:
- Angiosarcoma
- Mesothelioma Cancer
- Asbestosis
- Lung Cancer
- Esophageal Cancer
- Colorectal Cancer
- Adenocarcinoma
- Pulmonary Fibrosis
Adenocarcinoma Lung Cancer & Asbestos Exposure
Although adenocarcinoma lung cancer is associated with smoking, studies indicate exposure to asbestos may cause this form of deadly cancer. Inhaling asbestos fibers at the workplace over months or years put individuals at high risk for developing adenocarcinoma lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis. In terms of duration or dose, the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has concluded that there is no safe level of exposure.
Mesothelioma & Asbestos Exposure
Mesothelioma is a serious illness that has been linked to asbestos exposure in medical literature with a latency period of 20-50 years after being first exposed. A diagnosis of mesothelioma and lung cancer is overwhelming news for the individual and their family.
Most deaths from malignant mesothelioma in the United States are the result of exposures to asbestos decades prior. However, the continuing occurrence of mesothelioma deaths among persons under the age of 55 suggests ongoing occupational and environmental exposures, despite years of action by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) aimed at limiting exposure for much of the last 40 years.
To consider ways to assist in paying for medical expenses, you may talk to Attorney Joe Lyon for information on toxic exposure, treatment and compensation. Filing a toxic exposure lawsuit helps to raise the awareness of job safety, while also securing the financial compensation available to workers through multiple sources.
ABOUT THE LYON FIRM
Joseph Lyon has 17 years of experience representing individuals in complex litigation matters. He has represented individuals in every state against many of the largest companies in the world.
The Firm focuses on single-event civil cases and class actions involving corporate neglect & fraud, toxic exposure, product defects & recalls, medical malpractice, and invasion of privacy.
NO COST UNLESS WE WIN
The Firm offers contingency fees, advancing all costs of the litigation, and accepting the full financial risk, allowing our clients full access to the legal system while reducing the financial stress while they focus on their healthcare and financial needs.