The Latitude Five25 apartment complex in Columbus, Ohio was always a source of controversy, but nothing had happened in the past compared to the negligence that occurred after December of 2022, when the owner’s failure to properly manage asbestos contamination in the building put workers and others at risk of mesothelioma, and led a Franklin County magistrate to suggest an eye-popping $19.8 million fine.
Mesothelioma Risk from Asbestos Contamination Leaves Building Uninhabitable
According to evidence submitted in the case, the significant risk of mesothelioma arose after the apartment towers on Columbus’ East Side were evacuated in December 2022 due to burst water pipes. The towers’ owner, Paxe Latitude, and its management company Aloft Management set out to renovate the building but failed to order an asbestos survey before renovations began.
In addition to ignoring their own company requirements regarding conducting asbestos assessments before beginning work, the company’s workers were put at further risk of mesothelioma by the lack of protective equipment, an absence of an asbestos containment procedure, and the negligent way that drywall, carpet, and ceiling tiles were disposed of. Evidence in the case was summed up in the magistrate’s recommendation, which read, “Photos admitted into evidence showed that debris was often dumped on the floor during the work, with no care taken to avoid dropping or limiting the spread of the asbestos-containing material.”
Improper Handling of Legacy Asbestos Can Lead to Inhalation of Fibers and Mesothelioma
Testimony in the case pointed to a lack of proper equipment, asbestos discarded into open dumpsters, and fans that circulated asbestos as factors that raised the risk of the type of asbestos exposure that can cause mesothelioma. Though the work was ordered stopped by an EPA inspector and the site decontaminated, workers following the owners’ direction contaminated it again, allowing asbestos to be spread further throughout the site and the surrounding area.
The end result of the contamination was not limited to mesothelioma risk for workers. Asbestos so thoroughly infused the apartment building that over 160 tenants were told they could not retrieve any belongings left behind out of fear of illness. This included clothing, bedding, and furniture. The magistrate’s fine of $19.8 million will be assessed against Paxe Latitude, Aloft, and Paxe Latitude’s majority owner, Boruch Drillman.
If the negligent handling of asbestos has led to your diagnosis with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net can help. Contact us today at 1-800-692-8608.
