Asbestos Lawyer: Dallas

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Known for its industries and leisure, the city of Dallas also contains a lingering danger.

Asbestos contamination can still be found in many older buildings, including in Dallas.

Sometimes known as The Big D, the city of Dallas started from humble beginnings and eventually developed into the metropolis that it is today. In 1841, American and English investors took a liking to the area of North Texas that would become modern-day Dallas. The investors, led by William S. Peters and John Neely Brian, founded Peter’s colony aimed at creating a trading post that would provide for the Native Americans that lived in the area. 

Formation of Dallas: 1846

In 1846, Dallas County was formed and Dallas was selected as the temporary county seat, which would later become the permanent county seat in 1850. In 1856, Dallas was granted a town charter and was home to 678 people in 1860. Its city charter was granted in 1871.

Dallas is currently the 9th largest city, housing a population of 1,288,457 people. It is located thirty miles east of Fort Worth. The Dallas – Fort Worth Metroplex is one of the defining features of the region. The metroplex is served by two commercial airports, buses, and cars, and offers a mix of modern city architecture and cattle ranches. It is home to two zoos, historical monuments and museums, a world-class aquarium, stockyards, a strong sports culture, a vibrant nightlife, and a growing arts community.

Dallas: A sports culture and history like no other

Historic Dallas is known for having the term “Super Bowl” being coined within its walls, the invention of the frozen margarita machine and an American version of German chocolate, and the establishment of its still-going state fair. The modern-day city offers residents and visitors alike destination stops on its “M Line” trolley, the Stockyards National Historic District and tickets to Dallas Cowboys football games. Dallas truly is a little piece of modern paradise for those living there. However, the risk of asbestos exposure is a silent issue that has been eating away at its infrastructure for years, causing a real and deadly issue that the city must continue to address.

Dallas Asbestos Pollution

In 2022, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted soil testing and found significant amounts of asbestos contamination in Dallas’ westside. The contamination is located in the area next to the former W. R. Grace vermiculite processing plant, which is now the location of a concrete batch plant. 

The vermiculite processed by the company between 1967 and  1992 came from Libby, Montana, where mines were responsible for one of the worst cases of asbestos exposure in U.S. history. The workers of the mine and their families, as well as area residents, were all exposed to toxic asbestos at the time. In 2007, a screening of 400 residents showed that 15 had asbestosis and another 15 had pleural mesothelioma (a form of lung cancer).

But this is just one of the more popular cases. Dallas is a thriving metropolis known for tourism and shares the troubles of all other metropolises in the world, including pollution. The oil and gas industry thrives in the Dallas – Fort Worth metroplex. Unfortunately, asbestos is used significantly in oil and gas refineries. Essentially, asbestos could be lurking in anything with insulative properties because of its high heat resistance. That includes pipelines, insulation, heat exchangers, furnaces, boilers, and driers, among others.

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In terms of death rate, Louisiana had 5.9 asbestos-related deaths per 100,000 population during the 1999-2017 period. (Higher than the national average death rate of 4.9.)

Keep in mind that the application of asbestos is truly widespread, making its way into many major industries, especially the construction and automotive realm. Additionally, asbestos was a cheap construction material that was a go-to before the 1980s when it became public knowledge that the beloved mineral was toxic. Therefore, buildings constructed back then likely have a considerable amount of these microscopic fibers. 

For a metroplex like Dallas – Fort Worth, which goes the extra mile to maintain its historical heritage, one can be sure that there are several such buildings in the area. Should there be a demolition or renovation, the risk of exposure increases significantly.

Second-hand asbestos exposure (Secondary Asbestos Exposure)

Even the workers’ families were affected due to secondhand exposure—asbestos fibers are extremely durable and can cling to skin and clothing, traveling great distances with those directly exposed.

Asbestos fibers have no taste or smell, and can be microscopic, so you may not realize you were breathing them.

Unfortunately, many workers’ families and other household members were exposed to asbestos as well, as asbestos was brought home daily in neighborhoods across the U.S. on work-clothing. 

This is often known as secondary or second-hand asbestos exposure (or domestic / household family asbestos exposure). In studies of asbestos disease, 1 in 5 cases of asbestos exposure were caused by secondary asbestos exposure.

But spouses and children can also receive a share of the $30 Billion in asbestos trust compensation if they were exposed to asbestos brought into the house or family vehicle by a worker.

Dallas Asbestos Resources

Luckily, the Dallas city government has made a significant effort to limit the risks of asbestos exposure in its residents. This is in line with EPA Region 6 regulations of which Dallas is a part. Additionally, the Texas asbestos health protection rules were adopted in 2021 with environmental preservation and health protection as some of the primary goals of the Dallas – Fort Worth metroplex moving forward. 

Considerable strides have been made to ensure that there is reduced exposure to asbestos fibers. Unfortunately, for many residents, these regulations may have come a little too late. Many of Dallas’ residents worked in its oil and gas refineries that touted asbestos use for its fireproofing qualities. The industries also used other damaging chemicals with possible corrosive properties, so gaskets and hardware, as they decomposed, released asbestos into the air, causing workers to ingest it. In such cases, health complications have surfaced and the only reasonable option is to use legal means to seek compensation for damages.

Do You Qualify For Compensation?

Quickly and easily find out how you were exposed by searching W.A.R.D., the largest asbestos database on the planet.

Why Seek Legal Help?

Asbestos-related diseases can take decades to appear, so Dallas residents who were exposed on the job years ago may only be ready to receive compensation for their injuries now.

Fortunately, $30 Billion in asbestos compensation is still available for people exposed before 1982, often without a lawsuit.

Asbestos exposure may lead to developing health complications such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, and other cancers. The challenge with asbestos-related illnesses is that they have a high latency estimated at around 30 years or more. That means that it could be decades before one’s health starts failing, and by then, their options might seem bleak. 

Asbestos is a silent killer. 

Most of the people who currently have mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses were exposed in the 1970s. The U.S. government hadn’t set up meaningful regulations by then and there was very little public awareness of the health risks of asbestos. Although that would change in the 1980s, the damage had already been done.

Asbestos and liability laws can be complicated, and may vary depending on the state where you live or worked when you were exposed. 

But compensation is available to Dallas residents, often with a lawsuit.

However, with a qualified Dallas asbestos lawyer, it can be easy to navigate the corporate and legal landscape to seek what is owed. If healthcare providers prove that an illness is asbestos-related, then a person or their family members have legal grounds for filing a claim. 

Finding a lawyer is their best shot at seeking compensation because claims are often rejected by the responsible parties, and one of the significant reasons why claims are rejected is because of mistakes made during the filing process. Having a Dallas asbestos attorney filing the lawsuit eliminates this risk.

Compensation can help with the high medical costs of treating mesothelioma and asbestos-related diseases.

Dealing with an illness like mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer or other asbestos-related diseases can be very stressful, especially once these diseases are advanced or a loved one has already been lost. Adding the headache of navigating an asbestos claims process to one’s plate is not the best idea, and might even be detrimental to treatment and recovery. Instead of taking on the added stress, an attorney can be hired to do the heavy lifting.

AsbestosClaims.Law will do just that. The firm’s World Asbestos Research Database (W.A.R.D) houses a wealth of information on where one might have been exposed to asbestos, or which products they may have been used containing the mineral. Through W.A.R.D, it is also possible to know what kind of compensation can be expected for an asbestos-related injury. The experienced team of Dallas asbestos attorneys will take charge of everything that’s needed, including the filing and research, and the best part? They only charge a contingency fee, meaning there is no cost to the client until a case is won. 

AsbestosClaims.Law

AsbestosClaims.law is your comprehensive resource for all things asbestos. We hope this information is helpful.

If you have any additional questions or concerns related to asbestos, check out our website and YouTube page for videos, infographics and answers to your questions about asbestos, including health and safety, asbestos testing, removing asbestos from your home and building, and legal information about compensation for asbestos injuries.

If you believe that your home was contaminated with asbestos, or you believe that you were exposed to asbestos, or have been diagnosed with an asbestos illness, you could be entitled to significant compensation—money you could use to cover the costs of asbestos removal services, pay for medical treatment, and preemptively protect your physical well-being. 

All without filing a lawsuit.

The largest database of asbestos information on the planet.
W.A.R.D., which stands for the Worldwide Asbestos Research Database, helps clients to narrow down when and where they may have been exposed, as well as which products may still contain asbestos. W.A.R.D. will also help indicate compensation types and how much a person may be entitled to.

If you’d like help with filing a claim, please get in touch by email at [email protected], or call or text us at (833) 4-ASBESTOS (427-2378) or (206) 455-9190. We’ll listen to your story and explain your options. And we never charge for anything unless you receive money in your pocket.

References:

1. Tompa E, Kalcevich C, McLeod C, Lebeau M, Song C, McLeod K, et al. The economic burden of lung cancer and mesothelioma due to occupational and para-occupational asbestos exposure. Occup Environ Med 2017; 74: 816-22.

Pira, Enrico & Donato, Francesca & Maida, Luisa & Discalzi, Gianluigi. (2018). Exposure to asbestos: Past, present and future. Journal of Thoracic Disease. 10. S237-S245. 10.21037/jtd.2017.10.126.