Florida Asbestos-Related Deaths from 1999-2017

3,151
Mesothelioma Deaths
670
Asbestosis Deaths
3,821
Total Deaths

Asbestos Exposure in Florida

Florida is home to several industries and locations known for using asbestos products such as shipyards, naval air stations, power plants, chemical plants, and oil platforms. Florida had five asbestos processing plants that operated throughout the state. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) used asbestos on the space shuttle for its fireproofing properties. Other industries in Florida, such as construction and mining, also relied heavily on asbestos in their operations.

Power Plants and Oil Refineries

Florida’s power plants used machinery and equipment that was insulated with asbestos materials. Asbestos was often used as an insulation material in power plants because of its resistance to heat and electricity. Oil refineries and platforms in Florida also used asbestos materials to insulate against heat and fire. Workers in power plants and oil refineries may have been exposed to asbestos while operating, maintaining, or repairing equipment that was insulated with asbestos.

Buildings with Asbestos

Many public buildings in Florida contain asbestos. Prior to the 1980s, many construction materials were produced with asbestos, such as floor tiles, ceiling tiles, and insulation. Law and regulations in Florida have helped with the containment and disposal of asbestos in these facilities. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection Asbestos Removal Program helps prevent the release of asbestos fibers into the air during renovation and demolition activities.

Asbestos in Shipyards

Florida’s large coastal areas mean it is home to many shipyards and naval air stations which are locations that have been known to use asbestos. Asbestos was used in the insulation of piping and other machinery on many types of vessels. Veterans working on ships and aircraft may have been exposed to toxic asbestos fibers. Exposure to asbestos can lead to the development of deadly diseases, such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer.

The Atlantic Dry Dock, Tampa Bay Shipbuilding and Hendry Corporation are large shipyards located in Florida where workers would repair and build ships. Both companies have been identified as locations where workers were exposed to hazardous asbestos fibers.

Partial list of work sites in Florida with known asbestos exposure
  • A.W. Higgins Power Plant
  • Air Products/Escambia Chemical Plant
  • Alton Box Plant
  • Amerada Hess Oil Refinery
  • American Container Paper Mill
  • American Cyanamid Chemical Plant
  • Anclote Power Plant
  • Anheuser‐Busch Brewery
  • Arizona Chemical Corp. Headquarters Building
  • Arizona Chemical Plant
  • Armour Chemical Plant
  • Atlantic Marine Dry Dock
  • Avon Park Steam Plant
  • Bellinger Shipyard
  • Big Bend Steam Plant
  • Cape Canaveral Kennedy Space Center
  • Chemstrand-Monsanto Nylon Fiber Plant
  • Crandall Dry Dock
  • Crystal River Steam Plant
  • Debary Steam Plant
  • Eglin Air Force Base
  • Exxon Oil Refinery
  • Florida Crushed Stone Cement Plant
  • Fort Lauderdale Steam Plant
  • Fort Myers Steam Plant
  • Gannon/H.L. Culbreath Steam Plant
  • Gator Steam Plant
  • George E. Turner Steam Plant
  • Georgia Pacific Plywood Plant
  • Gibbs Shipyard
  • Good Samaritan Hospital
  • Gulf Power Co. Crist Power Plant
  • Hillsborough County Courthouse
  • Homestead Air Force Base
  • Hookers Point Steam Plant
  • Hudson Pulp & Paper Mill
  • Inglis Steam Plant
  • International Paper Mill
  • Jacksonville Shipyard
  • Key West U.S. Naval Base & Air Station
  • Lake Worth Steam Plant
  • Lakeland Hospital
  • Lakeland Steam Plant
  • MacDill Field Air Force Base
  • Martin Steam Plant
  • Maxwell House Plant
  • Mayport U.S. Naval Station
  • Miami International Airport
  • Newport Chemical Plant
  • Naval Air Station (NAS) ‐ Whiting Field
  • Newport Chemical Plant
  • Nitram Chemical Plant
  • Northside Generating Station
  • Occidental Chemical Plant
  • Occidental Phosphate Mine
  • Offshore Shipbuilding Co.
  • Orlando Utilities Steam Plant
  • Patrick Air Force Base
  • Paul Bartow Steam Plant
  • Pensacola Naval Air Station
  • Pensacola Naval Shipyard
  • Peter O’Knight Steam Plant
  • Phosphate Chemical Plant
  • Port Everglades Steam Plant
  • Pratt & Whitney Aerospace Plant
  • Rayonier Paper Mill
  • Riviera Beach Steam Plant
  • San Carlos Hotel
  • Smurfit-Stone Container Pulp and Paper Mill
  • St. Francis Hospital
  • St. Marks Steam Plant
  • St. Regis-Champion-International Paper Mill
  • Suwanee Plywood Mill
  • Suwannee River Steam Plant
  • Tampa Bay Shipbuilding Yard
  • TASCO-American Shipbuilding Yard
  • Turkey Point Nuclear Steam Plant
  • Turner Steam Plant
  • Tyndall Air Force Base
  • U.S. Gypsum Plant
  • U.S. Phosphorus Plant
  • Union Camp Chemical Plant
  • University of Florida
  • University of South Florida
  • Vero Beach Steam Plant
  • W.R. Grace Phosphate Plant
  • Wainwright Shipyard
  • Whiting Field Naval Air Station

Statute of Limitations to File Mesothelioma Claim in Florida

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