West Virginia Asbestos-Related Deaths from 1999-2017

473
Mesothelioma Deaths
175
Asbestosis Deaths
648
Total Deaths

Asbestos Exposure in West Virginia

Coal mining is the biggest threat of asbestos exposure in West Virginia. While coal mining was a prosperous industry for the state, it was also extremely hazardous for miners and refinery workers. Mining, cutting, and handling asbestos-contaminated coal placed workers at risk for exposure to toxic asbestos fibers. Deadly asbestos-related diseases, such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer can develop when airborne asbestos fibers are inhaled.

Some coal mines were clear of asbestos-contaminated coal, but the equipment used in the mines contained asbestos materials. Insulation, brakes, welding blankets, and other machinery were constructed with asbestos materials. Power plants and coal refineries also used asbestos to insulate high-heat machinery. Chemical plants, steel mills, and refineries used asbestos as an insulator for machinery which may have caused employees to be exposed to toxic asbestos fibers.

Below is a partial list of work sites in West Virginia with known asbestos exposure:

Partial list of work sites in West Virginia with known asbestos exposure
  • Albright Power Station
  • Allied Chemical Plant
  • American Viscose Rayon Plant
  • American Viscose Rayon Plant (FMC)
  • B.F. Goodrich Synthetic Rubber Plant
  • Big Sandy Power Plant
  • Blaw-Knox Rolls Foundry
  • Brockway Glass Mfg Plant (aka Anchor, formerly Hazel Atlas)
  • Cabin Creek Power Plant
  • Dupont Chemical Plant
  • Fort Martin Power Station
  • Harrison Power Station
  • Hunting Alloys Specialty Metals Plant, (formerly Inco Alloys)
  • John Amos Power Plant (formerly Big Scary)
  • Kaiser Aluminum Plant
  • Kammer-Mitchell Power Plant
  • Kanawha River Power Plant
  • Mobay Chemical Plant
  • Monongahela Power Plant
  • Monsanto Chemical Plant
  • Mount Storm Power Plant
  • Mountain State Steel Castings Foundry
  • Mountaineer Power Plant
  • Owens‐Illinois
  • Philip Sporn Power Plant
  • Pittsburgh Plate Glass (PPG) Plant
  • Pleasants Power Station
  • Quaker State Refinery (Congo Plant)
  • Ravenswood Glass Novelty Mfg. Plant (Marble Factory)
  • Union Carbide Chemical Plant
  • Weirton Steel Mill
  • West Virginia University
  • West Virginia University Hospital
  • Wheeling‐Pittsburgh Coke Plant (aka Mountain State Carbon)
  • Wheeling‐Pittsburgh Steel Fabrication Plant
  • Willow Island Power Station

Statute of Limitations to File Mesothelioma Claim in West Virginia

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