Kansas Asbestos-Related Deaths from 1999-2017

371
Mesothelioma Deaths
54
Asbestosis Deaths
425
Total Deaths

Asbestos Exposure in Kansas

The state of Kansas houses many oil refineries, chemical plants, and power plants. All of these industries have been known to use asbestos products and subject workers to asbestos exposure. Kansas City, Kansas has several chemical and power plants and a high rate of asbestos-related diseases.

Chemical plants in Kansas used asbestos-containing materials in their facilities because of its heat resistance properties and also because of its resistance to chemicals. Many employees in these facilities were exposed to asbestos which can lead to the development of deadly diseases, such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer.

Aircraft Manufacturing and Asbestos Exposure

Kansas also has a large aircraft manufacturing and maintenance industry. Aerospace companies, such as Cessna, used asbestos in airplane brakes which often had to be replaced. Some former aircraft mechanics have been diagnosed with mesothelioma after this regular exposure to asbestos products. Boeing is another aircraft manufacturer with facilities in Kansas. Boeing began replacing asbestos material with safer products in the late 1970s and almost entirely eliminated all asbestos products from the company by the early 1990s.

Asbestos and Oil Refineries

The Mid-America Refining Company (MARCO) was an oil refinery that operated from the 1940s to the 1980s. Asbestos was used to insulate machines which put refinery workers at risk of asbestos exposure. When the site closed it became an abandoned environmental hazard. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) investigated the site and found several hazardous materials, including asbestos. The EPA removed contaminated soil from the location in a massive cleanup effort in the 1990s. Individuals who worked or lived near this facility may have been exposed to hazardous materials, including asbestos.

Partial list of work sites in Kansas with known asbestos exposure
  • Apco-Kanotex Oil Refinery
  • Armco Steel Mill
  • Ashland Oil Refinery
  • Beechcraft Aircraft Plant
  • Boeing Aircraft Prospect Plant
  • Boeing Steam Plant
  • Clay Center Steam Plant
  • Coffeyville Steam Plant
  • Colgate Palmolive Chemical Plant
  • Co‐Op Oil Refinery
  • Derby Oil Refinery
  • Fina Oil & Chemical Refinery
  • Forbes Air Force Base
  • Frontier El Dorado Oil Refinery
  • Goodyear Tire & Rubber Plant
  • Kansas City Power & Light Building
  • Larned Steam Plant
  • McPherson Steam Plant
  • Mid-America Refining (MARCO) Oil Refinery
  • Mobil Oil Refinery
  • National Cooperative Oil Refinery
  • Northeast Power Station Steam Plant
  • Phillips Oil Refinery
  • Powerhouse Empire Distribution
  • Pratt Steam Plant
  • Proctor & Gamble Plant
  • Skelly Oil Refinery
  • Standard Oil Refinery
  • Sunflower Ordnance Works Plant
  • Tecumseh Energy Center Steam Plant
  • Texaco aka Frontier Oil Refinery
  • University of Kansas
  • Veolia Grand Avenue Station Steam Plant
  • Vickers Oil Refinery
  • Wellington Steam Plant
  • Western Petrochemical Oil Refinery
  • Wolf Creek Nuclear Powerhouse

Statute of Limitations to File Mesothelioma Claim in Kansas

There is a limited amount of time to file a lawsuit for mesothelioma that varies for each state called the statute of limitations. This means if you do not file within the time limit, you will never be able to pursue legal action or obtain compensation. It’s important that you take legal action within this time frame so you do not miss out on receiving the compensation you may deserve. Contact us here to learn more about how we can help.

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What is mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a deadly and rare form of malignant cancer that is caused by asbestos exposure. The most common forms of mesothelioma are: pleural and peritoneal. Pleural mesothelioma is a cancer that affects the lining of the lungs and peritoneal mesothelioma is a cancer that affects the lining of the abdominal cavity.

Victims with pleural mesothelioma may have respiratory symptoms, such as coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain, and fatigue. Victims with peritoneal mesothelioma may have abdominal swelling, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and weight loss.

The latency period for mesothelioma is very long. The average latency period is about 30 years, but can be shorter than 15 years or longer than 40 years. This means individuals with mesothelioma may take decades to present symptoms from the time they were exposed to asbestos.

What is asbestosis?

Asbestosis is a chronic lung disease caused by asbestos exposure. When asbestos is inhaled the fibers irritate and scar the lining of the lungs, making it difficult to breathe. The lungs become stiff and cannot expand and contract normally. Symptoms of asbestosis are shortness of breath, chest pain, and a dry, persistent cough. Like mesothelioma, the latency period for asbestosis is very long. Symptoms may not present for 10 to 40 years after asbestos exposure.

Military Asbestos Exposure

It is extremely important to know that our attorneys do not sue the military. We seek accountability from the asbestos companies that sold dangerous asbestos products to the military.

Members of all branches of the military may have been exposed to asbestos before it became more restricted in the 1970s. The U.S. military used asbestos products in many areas because of its low cost, durability, and heat resistant properties. The common use of these asbestos products put many U.S. veterans at risk of developing asbestos related diseases, such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer. Below is a list of the military branches and common asbestos exposure sites:

  • Navy – shipyards, boiler rooms, submarines
  • Army – barracks, shipyards, construction
  • Marine Corps – armored vehicles, barracks, ships, aircraft
  • Coast Guard – inside ships, ships, boiler rooms
  • Air Force- bases, airplanes, jets, aircraft maintenance