Mesothelioma On the Rise in Louisiana

People in Louisiana are experiencing a rise in mesothelioma that’s causing more needless deaths, more needless suffering. Think it’s random? Think again.

Unfortunately, people all over Louisiana, and especially people in the River Parishes (areas like Ascension Parish and Westbank), are suffering from a rise in mesothelioma because of a very unfortunate set of realities. Think: Maritime industries, power generation plants and oil drilling and refining.

It’s true, meet a person from Louisiana and you’re bound to meet one of the hardest workers in the country. We’re the type of people who expect to work hard for our money, the type who isn’t afraid to get our hands dirty. But all that time on the job might have led up to a whole lot of unfortunate exposure to asbestos, dangerous asbestos exposure that we probably had no idea we were encountering.

When a person is first exposed to asbestos, it’s not like they immediately begin to cough; they don’t suddenly catch a cold or run a fever. Instead, it takes years for the damage to unfold. Once it does, it’s often too late: Late-stage mesothelioma, a diagnosis of an already very rare cancer at an advanced stage, leaves little to be be done besides making the patient’s life a little bit more comfortable.

It’s a very sad story, once we’ve heard much more often than we’d like to, but it has to be told, because dangerous mesothelioma cancers are on the rise, and we have to do something about it to make sure that the serious injury of our loved ones, friends and families are heard and seen by the industries who put them at risk; we have to make sure that we demand that these industries  take care of our loved ones, friends and families who developed mesothelioma, just as we have to make sure that these industries, businesses that tend to rely on toxic substances and chemicals more than other industries do, get this clear message: Take care of your workers, make their safety your priority.

We’ve been assisting individuals throughout Louisiana in getting the help they need to file mesothelioma lawsuits for decades. While other law firms may be coming in now, encouraged by the potential for new clients, we’ve been here on the ground for years helping individuals who were hurt by asbestos exposure and diagnosed with mesothelioma. We get the ins and outs of Louisiana law when it comes to mesothelioma litigation — in fact, we helped create it!

If you live in Louisiana and were diagnosed with mesothelioma, your work exposure may be to blame. Because of how frequently asbestos was used throughout Louisiana in the 20th century, especially the mid-20th century leading up to the 1970’s, you may have been exposed in a huge variety of jobs.

However, people who worked in the following industries may be suffering the worst:

Maritime Industries

Due to our geography between two major Gulf Coast waterways, we all know we have a whole lot of maritime work. If you worked on any type of ship, you may have developed mesothelioma due to exposure to asbestos that was used as an anti-inflammatory insulation; risk may be even higher if you worked in the engine and boiler rooms, where fire at sea is an especially high risk, as was the risk for exposure to asbestos used as insulation.

Power Generation Plants

We’re home to eight major power generation plants in Louisiana. And each one may have increased our workers’ risk of exposure as pipe fittings, conduits and fire doors may have been fitted with asbestos as the substance is resistant to electrical currents.

Oil Drilling and Refining

Perhaps our third most-recognized industry in the Pelican State, oil drilling and refining work may have also been high-risk for asbestos exposure due to the fireproof jackets, gloves and other protective clothing and equipment workers were given to wear — “protective” clothing and equipment that may have been laced with asbestos!

Because of how pernicious this terrible substance is, dangerous exposure does not stop there. In fact, you may have been exposed to asbestos when your loved one came home from work with asbestos fibers unknowingly on their clothes, or when you did their laundry; and you may even have been exposed to asbestos from your driveway, too.