North Carolina Asbestos-Related Deaths from 1999-2017

1,083
Mesothelioma Deaths
336
Asbestosis Deaths
1,419
Total Deaths

Asbestos Exposure in North Carolina

The state of North Carolina has chemical plants, textile mills, manufacturing plants, mines, and military bases which are all facilities known to use asbestos products. Workers in any of these industries may have been exposed to asbestos. North Carolina also has deposits of naturally occurring asbestos in the western portion of the state and many miners were heavily exposed to asbestos at asbestos mining facilities.

Shipyards and Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos was commonly used on ships as an insulating material on pipes and boilers. Shipyards are considered one of the most dangerous job locations for asbestos exposure. North Carolina was home to several shipyards which were all known to use asbestos products. Workers that helped build, maintain or repair vessels at these shipyards may have been exposed to asbestos. When workers or nearby individuals are exposed to toxic asbestos fibers, deadly illnesses, such as mesothelioma and asbestosis can develop.

Asbestos in Buildings

Many buildings in North Carolina were constructed with asbestos-containing materials, such as floor tiles, roofing materials, piping, and gaskets. These materials are typically harmless but may pose an exposure risk when they become disturbed during repairs, remodeling, or demolition.

Fort Bragg, a military base in Fayetteville, was built with asbestos-containing materials. In the early 2000s, soldiers may have been exposed to asbestos while removing flooring tiles and disposing of them.

Vermiculite and Asbestos

Zonolite Inc., a vermiculite refinery, received several shipments of asbestos tainted vermiculite from in Libby, Montana. Workers who handled the tainted vermiculite at the processing plant were at high risk for asbestos exposure. North Carolina also had three other vermiculite processing facilities that exposed workers to asbestos. Employees at any of these processing plants should monitor their health for respiratory illnesses.

Partial list of work sites in North Carolina with known asbestos exposure
  • Akers Motor Lines, Inc.
  • Allen Steam Plant
  • Allstate Insurance Company Building
  • American Enka Plant
  • Appalachian State Teachers College
  • Appalachian State University
  • Bailey Power Plant
  • Barhardt Manufacturing
  • Barnhardt Furniture Company
  • BASF Plant
  • Belews Creek Steam Plant
  • Bell Telephone Building
  • Bristol Myers
  • Broyhill Furniture Company
  • Buck Steam Plant
  • Burlington Textile Mill
  • Burroughs Welcome Center
  • Butner State Hospital
  • Buzzard’s Roost Steam Plant
  • Caldwell Memorial Hospital
  • Camp Lejeune
  • Cannon Textile Mill
  • Carolina Power & Light (CP&L) Power Plant
  • Celanese Fiber Plant
  • Champion Paper Mill
  • Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station
  • Claire/Dunn/Armstrong Textile Factory
  • Cliffside Nuclear Plant
  • Cliffside Steam Plant
  • Cone Mills Textile Mill
  • Continuing Education Building
  • Dan River Steam Plant
  • Daniel Office Building
  • Dayco Products
  • Diamond Shamrock
  • Duke Power Company
  • Duke University
  • Duke University Hospital
  • Dupont Chemical Plant
  • Durham Public Schools
  • El Paso Detention Facility
  • Elmore Corp. Textile Mill
  • Enka Textile Mill
  • Erwin Mills
  • Federal Paper Board Paper Mill
  • Fiber Industries Textile Plant
  • Fieldcrest Cannon Inc.
  • First Baptist Church – Monroe
  • Foot Mineral Mine
  • Fort Bragg
  • Gaston County Dyeing Machine Co.
  • General Electric Plant
  • General Tire Plant
  • Great Lakes Carbon Black Plant
  • Halifax Paper Mill
  • Hanes Printables
  • Haw River Plant
  • Haynes Hosiery Mill
  • Henderson Furniture Company
  • Henderson Water Treatment Plant
  • Hercules Chemical Plant
  • Hickory Manufacturing Co.
  • Ideal Cement Plant
  • Ingersoll‐Rand Plant
  • Johnson C. Smith University
  • Kelly Springfield Tire
  • Kerr Bleachery Plant
  • Knitting Mill
  • Lance Snack Foods Plant
  • Lithium Plant
  • Lundy Packing Plant
  • Marshall Power Plant
  • Mayflower Plant
  • Mead Paper Mill
  • Merck, Sharpe & Dohme Pharmaceuticals
  • Merita Bakery
  • Methodist College
  • Morganton Hospital
  • Moses Cone Hospital
  • Mount Holly Steam Plant
  • NCNB Tower
  • North Carolina Finishing Company
  • North Carolina Shipbuilding & Drydock Company
  • Old Fort Finishing Plant
  • Pharr‐Yarn Plant
  • Pittsburgh Plate Glass (PPG) Chemical Plant
  • Presbyterian Church
  • Presbyterian Hospital
  • Proximity Plant
  • R.J. Reynolds Office Building
  • Raleigh State Legislation Building
  • Research Triangle Plant
  • Riegel Paper Mill
  • Riverbend Steam Plant
  • Roanoke Mill
  • Rutherford Hospital
  • Salisbury Plant
  • Schlitz Brewery
  • Sears Roebuck Building
  • Shearon Harris (CP&L) Nuclear Power Plant
  • Southern Asbestos
  • Southern Dye
  • Spencer Power Plant
  • Spindale Mills Textile Mill
  • Starr‐Davis
  • Sutton Power Plant
  • Templon Spinning Mill
  • Texas Gulf Sulfur
  • Threads Mill
  • University Of North Carolina
  • University Of North Carolina Hospital
  • Veterans’ Administration Hospital
  • Wayne Memorial Hospital
  • Weatherspoon Power Plant
  • Western Carolina University
  • Westinghouse Turbine Plant
  • Weyerhauser Paper Mill

Statute of Limitations to File Mesothelioma Claim in North Carolina

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