Michigan Asbestos-Related Deaths from 1999-2017

1,792
Mesothelioma Deaths
255
Asbestosis Deaths
2,047
Total Deaths

Asbestos Exposure in Michigan

The industrial trade in Michigan is expansive. The state’s automobile plants, chemical plants, power plants, steel plants, and paper mills increase the risk of residents and workers developing asbestos-related diseases.

Asbestos in Automobile Manufacturing

Detroit, Michigan is the home of the automobile industry and assembly line manufacturing. The high rate of asbestos-related deaths and diseases in Michigan can be partially attributed to the automobile manufacturing plants in the state. Several car components contained asbestos prior to the 1990s. Asbestos was used for its heat resistant properties to make parts like brake pads, spark plugs and transmission components. Workers were continually exposed to these asbestos-containing products and the toxic fibers that make asbestos so dangerous.

Shipbuilding and Asbestos Exposure

Michigan also has the largest inland coastline in the nation making it home to several shipyards. Shipbuilders were often exposed to asbestos since asbestos was used as an insulating material in most ships. Asbestos was used as an insulator for pipes and boilers on many commercial and military vessels. Workers who were operating or repairing equipment and machinery on these ships could disturb the asbestos fibers and send them airborne. The close quarters of a ship put many individuals on the ship at risk of asbestos exposure.

Vermiculite and Asbestos

The W.R. Grace Company sent tons of contaminated vermiculite to Michigan for processing from its mine located in Libby, Montana. Several facilities in Michigan processed the tainted vermiculite from the 1940s to 1980s. Workers in these facilities were likely exposed to toxic asbestos fibers that cause fatal diseases, such as mesothelioma and asbestosis, when inhaled.

Partial list of work sites in Michigan with known asbestos exposure
  • American Box Board Paper Mill
  • American Motors Nash‐Kelvinator Refrigerator Plant
  • Beacon Street Steam Plant
  • Briggs Manufacturing Plant
  • Bronson Public Hospital
  • Brown Paper Mill
  • Budd Wheel
  • Buick Automotive Plant
  • Cadillac Automotive Plant
  • Central High School
  • Chevrolet Gear And Axle Plant
  • Chrysler Engine Plant
  • Chrysler Military Tank Plant
  • Chrysler Body Stamping Plant
  • Chrysler‐Plymouth‐Dodge Assembly Plant
  • Midland Steam Plant
  • Conners Creek Steam Plant
  • Consumers Power Coal Gasification Plant
  • Cobb Steam Plant
  • Cook Nuclear Plant
  • Dafoe Shipyard
  • Detroit Brass Works Foundry
  • Dow Chemical Plant
  • Eastern Michigan University
  • Fisher Autobody Plant
  • Ford “River Rouge” Automotive Plant
  • Ford Motor Company Foundry
  • General Motors Chevrolet Plant
  • Goodyear Tire & Rubber Plant
  • Great Lakes Steel Mill
  • Grey Iron Foundry
  • Harbor Beach Steam Plant
  • Hudson Motor Car Plant
  • Jackson Prison
  • James River Paper Mill
  • John C. Campbell Plant
  • Kaiser Aluminum Plant
  • Kellogg Cereal Plant
  • Kelsey Hays Wheel Foundry
  • Kimberly‐Clark Paper Mill
  • L.A. Young Spring & Wire Factory
  • Marathon Oil refinery
  • McLouth Steel Mill
  • Michigan State Prison
  • Michigan State University
  • Mistersky Steam Plant
  • Monroe Steam Plant
  • Oldsmobile Manufacturing Plant
  • Pennsylvania Salt Refinery
  • Post Cereal Plant
  • Ralston Purina Plant
  • River Rouge Steam Plant
  • S.D. Warren Paper Mill
  • St. Clair Steam Plant
  • Stauffer Chemical Plant
  • Total Petroleum Oil Refinery
  • Trenton Channel Steam Plant
  • Turnsted Division Of General Motors Plant
  • University Of Michigan
  • Upjohn Pharmaceutical Plant
  • Upper Peninsula Steam Plant+
  • Weddock Steam Plant
  • Wyandotte Chemical Plant

Statute of Limitations to File Mesothelioma Claim in Michigan

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