Vermont mesothelioma lawyers are ready and waiting to help residents exposed to asbestos who got sick as a result. They guide victims through the legal process of filing a lawsuit and seeking compensation through trust funds and settlements. Several hundred Vermonters have died from mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer in recent years.[1]
Asbestos Attorneys Work with Clients Across Vermont
Residents and workers in Vermont have been at risk of asbestos exposure in every corner of the state. Mesothelioma lawyers work with clients in Burlington, Bennington, Essex Junction, Rutland, Montpelier, Stowe, Bellows Falls, St. Albans, Eden, Lowell, and other areas.
Vermont mesothelioma lawyers work with clients to investigate the companies responsible for their asbestos exposure. They build a case with evidence and find ways to help their clients get justice and recover damages for the many costs of living with mesothelioma.
How to File a Mesothelioma Claim in Vermont
When you’re ready to take action for your past asbestos exposure and current illness, a lawyer will explain your options. They will advise you on the best route to take and guide you through the process. You could be eligible for one or more of the following:
- Personal Injury Lawsuit. One or more companies may be responsible for your past exposure. You can file a personal injury lawsuit against them to seek damages for medical and other expenses.
- Wrongful Death Lawsuit. If your loved one died from past asbestos exposure, you can recover damages through a wrongful death suit.
- Asbestos Trust Fund Claim. If the companies that exposed you went bankrupt, they most likely funded an asbestos trust. You can file a claim for compensation with one or more of these.
- VA Benefits Claim. The Veterans Administration offers benefits to veterans exposed to asbestos during active service. The VA rates mesothelioma as 100% disabling.
Who Is Eligible for a Mesothelioma Claim?
If you have mesothelioma, you are probably eligible to make a claim for compensation or file a lawsuit. Nearly all cases of mesothelioma result from negligent exposure to asbestos. Companies can and should be held liable for the harm they caused.
The first step in making a claim is determining where and when you were exposed to asbestos.
Asbestos Mining in Vermont
The mountainous state of Vermont is rich in natural resources. This includes a variety of minerals, one of which is asbestos. Asbestos is a group of minerals, all comprised of tiny fibers. Some types are more harmful than others.
Asbestos fibers can easily become airborne or get mixed into soil or water, causing people to inhale or ingest them accidentally. Mining is an activity that stirs up asbestos fibers and puts both workers and nearby residents at risk of exposure.
Vermont has seven former asbestos prospects.[2] Although the state had three operating asbestos mines, those mines are now closed.
In addition to those operating mines, there are twelve other known asbestos deposits in the state. Construction in these areas could potentially disturb these natural deposits and contaminate air and soil in the area.
A few of the now-shuttered asbestos mines continue to put people in the state at risk of asbestos exposure. These sites were abandoned, leaving behind a toxic dump that included significant amounts of asbestos.
One of these was the mine at Belvidere Mountain in Eden and Lowell, owned by G-I Holdings. The mine shut down in 1993, later than others in the state. Unfortunately, the owners left the mine in an unusable state, claiming insufficient funds for a cleanup.[3]
As a result, the state of Vermont sued the company. The two parties finally reached an agreement in 2019. The former mine owner agreed to pay the state $850,000 for road improvements. The company is also required to create a trust to fund the monitoring of air quality and site security.[3]
Talc Mining in Vermont
Talc is a natural mineral that goes into many products, including consumer hygiene products like baby powder. Some talc mines contain natural asbestos, too. When companies fail to purify the talc, they put consumers at risk of exposure through contaminated products.
In recent years, thousands of people have sued Johnson & Johnson and other companies for ovarian cancer and mesothelioma that they blame on the use of talcum powder products.
One of those other companies is Imerys Talc America, which has supplied J&J with talc. Imerys has talc mines in Windsor County, Vermont, but it no longer supplies J&J with talc from that location.[4]
Whether or not the Windsor mines contain asbestos is unclear. However, they still operate, and if they do have asbestos, they could be putting workers and local residents at risk of exposure.
Libby Vermiculite in Vermont
Vermont’s asbestos problems have not been limited to material mined in the state. Facilities in Vermont were recipients of vermiculite mined in Libby, Montana, at the W.R. Grace mine.
This mine produced hundreds of thousands of tons of vermiculite, which was primarily used to manufacture insulation. Decades later, it was determined that the vermiculite from that source contained contaminating asbestos.
While this meant thousands of people in Libby were contaminated, people around the country working in or living near the vermiculite processing facilities were also exposed.
Power Plants and Other Industrial Exposure
In Vermont, as in other states, nearly every industrial workplace once used asbestos, putting workers and others at risk of exposure. Vermont has never had a hugely industrial economy, but several facilities in the state have caused workers to be exposed.
Power plants account for much of the exposure because they used asbestos to insulate their facilities. Textile and paper mills also used asbestos in buildings, machinery, equipment, and even safety gear workers. Some workers may have handled asbestos directly during the manufacturing process.
Paper Mills
With its extensive forests, Vermont became a center for paper mills. These industrial paper mills used asbestos in many components, machines, and materials, including boilers, insulation, gaskets, valves, fire-proofing, and more.
Some of the mills that used asbestos and put workers at risk of exposure include:
- White Mountain Paper Company
- Green Mountain Paper
- International Paper Company
- Robertson Paper Mill
Vermont’s Agency of Commerce and Community Development announced $1.2 million in funding for cleanup at the former Robertson site in Bellows Falls.[5] The abandoned mill put residents at risk of exposure to pollutants, including asbestos.
Other Sites in Vermont with Asbestos
Although asbestos exposure has not been as high in Vermont as in other states, many people suffered exposure during asbestos’s heyday. These are just a few known sites with asbestos in the state:
- Albans Electric Light and Power Company, St. Albans
- Consolidated Light and Power Company, Montpelier
- Black Cat Textiles, Bennington
- Blodgett Supply Co., Burlington
- General Electric, Burlington
- St. Johnsbury Trucking Terminal, Burlington
- Burlington Power Co., Burlington
- Industrial Insulation, Inc., Essex Junction
- Green Mountain Paper, Bellows Falls
- International Paper Company, Bellows Falls
- White Mountain Paper Company, Bellows Falls
- Green Mountain College, Rutland
- Central Vermont Railways, St. Albans
- Vermont Marble, Rutland
Can I Still Be Exposed to Vermont Asbestos Today?
Unfortunately, current residents of Vermont might still need to rely on mesothelioma lawyers in the future. Most exposures occurred in the past, but residents and workers are still at risk of coming into contact with asbestos today.
The primary route of ongoing exposure is through construction materials. The construction industry used asbestos in many products in the past, and they linger in older buildings. If those materials are abandoned and deteriorate or are disturbed by renovations and demolitions, they can expose workers and residents.
Some recent examples in Vermont illustrate the ongoing risk. In 2022, an apartment building in Burlington was demolished after two fires and the discovery of asbestos. The fires could have dispersed asbestos into the community.[6]
Bellows Falls received funding to remediate the last remaining asbestos cement pipe in the village. Many water systems were constructed with asbestos pipes. Over time, as the pipes deteriorate, they can contaminate drinking water.[7]
Vermont Receives Settlement from J&J
Several attorneys general sued J&J over consumer protection issues related to talcum powder products. They alleged the company knew about asbestos in their products and failed to warn consumers of the risks.
J&J settled with the states for $700 million. Vermont is set to receive $3.1 million of that settlement because the company violated the state’s Consumer Protection Act. The money will go into the state’s general fund.[8]
What Are Vermont’s Asbestos Laws?
Vermont’s laws cover safety procedures to prevent ongoing exposure and negligence laws to manage asbestos lawsuits.
Asbestos Safety Regulations
Vermont’s Department of Health keeps Vermont residents safe from asbestos by administering laws and regulations set by the federal and state governments. For example, the Department oversees the certification of asbestos abatement professionals and inspectors for all projects in the state.
An inspector must be on-site before any project begins that could involve asbestos. Professionals who remove asbestos from old buildings must notify the Department of Projects at least ten days in advance.
Statute of Limitations
Victims of asbestos exposure who develop illnesses like mesothelioma and lung cancer have a right in Vermont to sue those parties they believe to be negligent; however, there is a statute of limitations in Vermont.
Plaintiffs must file a lawsuit within three years of the diagnosis of a related illness when a diagnosis should reasonably have been made.
This means if you get sick, you have no time to lose in getting a diagnosis and taking legal action. If you lose a loved one to one of these illnesses, you have two years from the time of death to file a wrongful death lawsuit.
Finding and Working with a Vermont Mesothelioma Lawyer
Receiving a mesothelioma diagnosis is devastating. This is a serious illness that is difficult to treat. Most people were exposed to asbestos unknowingly or without realizing the risks. Those responsible are now being forced to pay.
Although you can fight for the justice you deserve, having an experienced professional on your side is essential. Let us help you find a Vermont mesothelioma lawyer so you get the best possible chance of winning your case. While you focus on treatment, your lawyer will be your advocate, taking action on your behalf.
