Connecticut mesothelioma lawyers are now helping asbestos victims get justice. Between 1999 and 2017, 715 people in Connecticut died from mesothelioma, and thousands more died from other diseases caused by exposure to asbestos.[1] For many of these people, the exposure occurred in the workplace, where asbestos use was common for decades.
How Connecticut Mesothelioma Lawyers Help Asbestos Victims
Connecticut mesothelioma lawyers are experts in asbestos and personal injury laws. Experienced lawyers and firms give victims a better chance of recovering significant damages, often in the millions of dollars.
Asbestos lawyers advocate on behalf of victims throughout the state, including in:
- Bridgeport
- Danbury
- Groton
- Hartford
- New Haven
- Norwalk
- Stamford
- Waterbury
Mesothelioma lawyers help their clients by providing information, investigating their exposure, explaining their legal options, and taking them through the legal processes necessary to recover damages.
Who Is Entitled to Asbestos Compensation?
If you were exposed to asbestos and now have a related illness, you probably qualify to seek compensation. Many companies failed to warn workers of the risks of working with or near asbestos. This failure to warn is negligent and means you are entitled to compensation.
Family members may also be qualified to seek compensation. If a spouse brought asbestos fibers home on their clothing, for instance, you could develop mesothelioma. You can also seek compensation if your loved one died from mesothelioma.
How to File an Asbestos or Mesothelioma Claim in Connecticut
If you are a victim of asbestos exposure and now have mesothelioma or another related illness, you have legal rights. You can seek damages and hold the responsible companies accountable for your asbestos exposure. Options for mesothelioma claims in Connecticut include:
Personal Injury Lawsuit
If a company responsible for exposing you to asbestos is still operational, you can sue them for damages. You can seek damages for medical and other expenses as well as pain and suffering. A personal injury claim over asbestos usually ends in a settlement rather than going to trial.
Wrongful Death Lawsuit
If your spouse died from asbestos exposure, you can also sue for damages. Damages cover pain and suffering as well as costs like lost income and funeral expenses.
Asbestos Trust Fund Claim
A lawsuit might not be an option. If the asbestos companies filed for bankruptcy, you cannot sue. However, bankruptcy laws require that these companies set up trust funds to pay victims. A lawyer can help you file a claim with the appropriate asbestos trust.
Veterans Administration (VA) Claim
If your asbestos exposure occurred during military service, you can file a claim for VA benefits. You cannot sue the military or government, but you might be able to sue an asbestos company that supplied the military.
Where Was I Exposed to Asbestos in Connecticut?
One of the most important reasons to rely on an experienced Connecticut mesothelioma lawyer is that they know where asbestos exposure occurred. If you don’t know where you encountered asbestos, an asbestos attorney can investigate and give you answers.
Sources of Asbestos Exposure
Connecticut is a small state, and much of it is rural, but it has also been an important industrial center. The state is also an important maritime and naval area. It has access to the Atlantic Ocean and a significant length of coastline along Long Island Sound.
These different types of work sites—industrial plants, shipyards, ports, and naval bases—have historically used asbestos, often profoundly. Asbestos is a mineral, and it was used so commonly in shipping and industry because of its many useful properties: heat resistance, electrical resistance, fireproofing, and lightweight strength.[2]
Manufacturing and industrial workplaces in Waterbury, Danbury, and Hartford were once sites of asbestos exposure. Two military facilities exposed service people to the dangerous mineral over the years. Connecticut even has a superfund site contaminated with various toxins, including asbestos.[3]
Shipyards in Connecticut
A significant source of asbestos in many locations in the state is in shipyards. The shipping industry used asbestos more than nearly any other industry because the mineral was vital for making ships safer without adding a lot of extra weight.
Almost every part of a vessel had asbestos for its insulation and resistance to fires. Fire aboard a ship at sea is deadly. Lightweight asbestos can also add strength to materials, another property that is particularly important on ships.[4]
Connecticut is home to numerous shipyards that used asbestos in the past. Workers in these facilities faced the risk of asbestos exposure constantly. Additionally, workers often did their jobs in small spaces with little ventilation. As a result, the risk of inhaling asbestos is heightened.
Connecticut Industrial Centers and Asbestos
Many industrial work sites were also relevant sources of asbestos use and exposure. Waterbury was one major area for asbestos exposure in Connecticut. It has a long history of manufacturing, especially brass. Waterbury became so well known for its quality brass that it touts the nickname “Brass City.”[5]
Thousands of people worked in the brass industry in Waterbury, which exposed them to asbestos. Companies like American Brass Company, Anaconda Metal Hose, Chase Brass and Copper Company, and Somers Brass put their workers at risk for decades.
Although it is not often associated with mining, Connecticut did have asbestos mines, including one in Nepaug, near New Hartford.
The mine did not last long, which may indicate a small asbestos deposit there. The mine and other areas of naturally occurring asbestos in the state put both workers and residents at risk of exposure.[6]
Military Asbestos Exposure in Connecticut
Military sites in Connecticut have also been guilty of asbestos exposure and resulting illnesses. Bradley Air National Guard headquarters in Granby, New London Naval Submarine Base in Groton, and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London have all been found to have asbestos.
The Air National Guard station used asbestos in planes, the roofing of airplane hangars, and many other materials in the facilities. At the Coast Guard Academy, professional asbestos abatement was conducted in 2008 to remove asbestos tiles and other materials from several buildings.
Military exposure led to numerous lawsuits in Connecticut over asbestos-related illnesses and deaths. The widow of an Air National Guard veteran, for example, sued the Connecticut Air National Guard in a wrongful death suit, claiming that her husband was exposed during his service. She won her case.[7]
In a rare jury case, the family of a firefighter who worked aboard a Navy aircraft carrier also won a wrongful death suit after he died from mesothelioma.
Other Known Sites of Asbestos Exposure in Connecticut
Many industrial, mining, and military sites in Connecticut are known to have asbestos. Each site placed people at risk of asbestos exposure. Some of those who became sick relied on a Connecticut mesothelioma lawyer to help get justice.
Other locations associated with asbestos include:
- General Electric Company, Bridgeport
- United Technologies, Hartford
- Sikorsky Aircraft, Stratford
- Hartford Steam Boiler, Hartford
- F. Goodrich, Shelton
- Connecticut Light and Power, Shelton and Montville
What Are Connecticut’s Asbestos Laws?
Connecticut’s mesothelioma lawyers are experts in the laws that affect asbestos victims. Several laws aim to protect people from exposure and affect how and when victims recover damages.
Statute of Limitations
All states limit the time that a person has to file a lawsuit over a personal injury, including asbestos exposure and mesothelioma. For Connecticut, the statute of limitations is three years.
Because mesothelioma can take decades after asbestos exposure to develop, Connecticut has a Special Rule for Asbestos Claims. This rule states that an individual has 60 years from their last exposure to asbestos to file a lawsuit.[8]
For wrongful death lawsuits, the statute of limitations is set at three years from the time of death.
Secondhand Asbestos Exposure and Take-Home Duty
Some victims of asbestos exposure never worked around it. They had family members who came home from work with asbestos fibers on them, resulting in secondhand exposure.
Some states have had landmark cases that determined whether asbestos companies had a take-home duty or a responsibility to warn family members of the risks of secondhand exposure.
Connecticut has not had a firm ruling on this issue. However, in a case from 2015, the court sided with a plaintiff whose father worked with asbestos. The court refused to grant summary judgment to the defendants, which would have ended the case.[9]
This particular situation suggests that Connecticut courts favor victims of secondhand exposure.
Asbestos Safety Regulations
State laws regarding asbestos removal are covered by Connecticut’s Asbestos Program. The program aims to reduce asbestos exposure and ensure that the material is removed safely.
The Asbestos Program works with other groups to train and license contractors to abate asbestos. It also ensures that all public and private school buildings are asbestos-free.
The Asbestos Program is part of the Connecticut Department of Public Health. Those who work in asbestos abatement must follow numerous rules and guidelines, including testing the air after work is complete.[10]
How Much Compensation Can a Connecticut Lawyer Get For Asbestos Victims?
Most people turn to asbestos law firms because they need to recover damages. Mesothelioma is expensive, and responsible companies should pay. How much a lawyer can help you recover depends on the individual factors of your case. Some examples from past cases include:
- $2.6 Million for Firefighter. David Fortier worked with asbestos gaskets and packing during his career, resulting in mesothelioma. He died in 2008, and his family sued the Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company for wrongful death. A jury awarded his estate $2.6 million.[11]
- $2.4 Million for Tile Setter. Hannibal Saldibar used mortar containing asbestos in his decades-long career working with tiles. His family sued for wrongful death after he died from mesothelioma in 2010. A jury awarded them $2.4 million.[12]
- $15 Million for Engineer. Nicholas Barone worked as a process engineer for Vanderbilt Minerals in Norwalk. He died decades later of mesothelioma. His family was awarded $15 million by a jury.[13]
Working with an experienced Connecticut asbestos lawyer gives you the best chance of getting significant compensation.
Finding a Connecticut Mesothelioma Lawyer You Can Trust
If you’re facing an illness related to asbestos exposure, or you have lost a loved one to mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer, you have the right to sue the responsible party.
Make sure you work with a professional Connecticut mesothelioma lawyer who specializes in asbestos and mesothelioma laws. They will have the expertise needed to ensure that you have the best opportunity to get justice and compensation.
