Delaware Asbestos-Related Deaths from 1999-2017

196
Mesothelioma Deaths
78
Asbestosis Deaths
274
Total Deaths

Asbestos Exposure in Delaware

Delaware has several industrial sources of asbestos exposure including chemical plants, factories, and energy plants.

Chemical Plants and Asbestos

Several chemical plants in Delaware exposed workers to asbestos throughout their regular duties. Asbestos-containing materials in the factory boiler rooms and production lines put chemical plant operators and machine repair specialists at risk for asbestos exposure. These chemical plants used asbestos insulation for machinery.

DuPont Chemical was largely responsible for most of the asbestos exposure in Delaware. Several lawsuits have been filed against DuPont for their irresponsible asbestos use. Company executives were aware of the dangers of asbestos back in the 1930s, but they continued to use the toxic materials without providing adequate safety equipment to their employees.

Asbestos in Buildings

Delaware has many historic buildings that were likely constructed with asbestos materials in the years prior to the 1980s. Construction workers who repaired or demolished any of Delaware’s older historic buildings may have been exposed to asbestos. State laws now set safety measures to prevent workers from inhaling asbestos, but former workers have a higher risk of exposure.

Partial list of work sites in Delaware with known asbestos exposure
  • Allied Chemical
  • Atlas Chemical Industries
  • Braunstein Building
  • Charles Schagrin Building
  • Croda Inc.
  • Delaware City/Getty/Texaco Oil refinery
  • Dover Air Force Base
  • Dow Chemical
  • DuPont Chemical
  • Edge Moor Steam Plant in Wilmington
  • Exchange Building
  • Ford & Massey Furniture Company Building
  • F.W. Woolworth Building
  • General Chemical Company
  • Getty Oil Refinery
  • Harlan and Hollingsworth Office Building
  • Helix Associates Inc.
  • Henry Townsend Building
  • Hercules (Gun) Powder Plant
  • Indian River Steam Plant in Millsboro
  • Max Kell Building
  • Metachem-Standard Chlorine Chemical Plant
  • Kilgore Hall
  • Phoenix City Steel Foundry
  • Reynolds Candy Company Building

Statute of Limitations to File Mesothelioma Claim in Delaware

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