Wyoming mesothelioma lawyers help asbestos victims and their families take legal action against negligent companies. Wyoming is a sparsely populated state with a relatively high incidence of mesothelioma.[1] Mining, refineries, vermiculite processing, and other industries can be blamed for the high rate of asbestos-related illnesses and deaths.
How to File a Mesothelioma Claim in Wyoming
If you or a loved one has mesothelioma, you have legal options. Most cases of mesothelioma result from negligent asbestos exposure, which means you are likely entitled to compensation.
To hold companies accountable and recover damages, you need a Wyoming mesothelioma lawyer. They work with clients in Cheyenne, Casper, Gillette, Laramie, Rock Springs, Sheridan, Green River, Sinclair, Alma, and everywhere else in the state.
Asbestos firms in Wyoming can help you determine which type of claim to file:
- Personal injury lawsuit. If the companies that exposed you to asbestos are still in business, you can hold them accountable with a personal injury suit. A lawsuit can help you get a settlement or a jury award to cover medical and other expenses.
- Wrongful death lawsuit. You can also take legal action against companies negligent in exposing a family member to asbestos. If that person dies from an asbestos illness, you can file a wrongful death claim for damages.
- Asbestos trust fund claim. If the companies responsible went bankrupt, you still have a way to recover damages. These companies were required to fund trusts for future claimants as part of the bankruptcy. Your lawyer can find all the trusts you qualify for.
- Veterans benefits claim. Veterans have higher rates of mesothelioma than other groups. If you encountered asbestos in the military, you can file a claim for benefits from the Veterans Administration.
How Asbestos Firms Help Wyoming Residents and Workers
If you or a loved one has an asbestos illness like mesothelioma, you don’t have to simply accept the bad news. You can take legal action, get justice, and seek compensation.
Wyoming mesothelioma lawyers work with clients to reach these goals. There are several ways that these asbestos firms help asbestos-exposure victims:
- If you’re not sure where you encountered asbestos, an experienced asbestos lawyer can use your job history and other information to determine the location, job, or company responsible.
- They will determine all companies involved that might owe you damages.
- A mesothelioma lawyer will give you a free consultation to review your case and provide advice.
- They will explain your legal options and take action on your behalf.
- Asbestos attorneys understand your illness and will work with and around your needs to resolve your case.
- They will maximize the amount of damages you can get for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.
- Mesothelioma lawyers do not charge clients a fee until they win.
How Did I Get Exposed to Asbestos in Wyoming?
Wyoming is a rugged state with a small population and, compared to many other states, a small economy. The mining and oil industries have played a significant role in the state’s economy, providing employment and revenue.
These industries exposed many workers to harmful asbestos. There are natural asbestos deposits in Wyoming, as well as in several former asbestos mines. These mines, including those designed to extract other minerals, have put people at risk of asbestos exposure.
As in other states, Wyoming continues to have issues with asbestos in older buildings. Before regulations existed limiting how asbestos is used and handled, the construction industry commonly used asbestos in various materials. Today, these older buildings still contain asbestos in many components.
When these asbestos materials deteriorate or are damaged, harmful asbestos fibers can break loose, contaminating the air people breathe.
Mining and Naturally-Occurring Asbestos
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, Wyoming is home to four known, un-mined natural asbestos deposits. Additionally, there are five former prospects for asbestos mining and three former asbestos mines.[2]
Natural asbestos deposits pose a risk to the health of area residents. Construction, road building, and other projects may disturb the asbestos, contaminating soil, air, and water.
Former mines posed the most significant risk because miners handled asbestos directly. Mining activities disturbed asbestos fibers, putting both workers and nearby residents at risk of inhaling the harmful fibers.
There are no longer any active asbestos mines in Wyoming. However, other mines still pose a threat. Activities at these mines may disturb asbestos deposits and cause exposure and contamination.
Erionite and Mesothelioma
Asbestos is not the only mineral found in Wyoming that can cause mesothelioma. Several western states, including Wyoming, have natural deposits of erionite.[3]
Most of the information about erionite comes from studies in Turkey. Several villages near erionite deposits here have unusually high cancer rates.
How much of a threat the deposits in the western U.S. are to residents is not yet clear. Where no development exists, the risk is likely low. However, activities like mining, road building, and construction could disturb erionite deposits and expose workers and nearby residents.
Refineries in Wyoming
Wyoming has many important natural resources. In addition to mining, oil and oil refineries are big businesses here. Oil refineries have historically used significant amounts of asbestos.
Asbestos is a natural insulator and resists heat and fire. These properties made asbestos useful in refineries where heat and fire are frequent dangers. Wyoming refinery workers were likely exposed to asbestos. This includes those who worked with high-temperature equipment and those who repaired and maintained this equipment.
Libby Vermiculite
The W.R. Grace mine in Libby, Montana, produced vast quantities of asbestos-laced vermiculite until 1990. The mine ceased operations when asbestos was discovered.
Thousands of workers and area residents were already affected. People who worked in facilities around the country that processed the Libby vermiculite were also affected, including at least two locations in Wyoming.
The two facilities known to have received shipments of vermiculite from Libby are the Big Horn Gypsum Company in Cody and the Georgia-Pacific/Bestwall Gypsum Division in Lovell and Himes.
Workers at these facilities could have come into contact with asbestos. Those living in the area and families of workers who may have brought asbestos fibers home on their clothing were also at risk.
F.E. Warren Air Force Base
A recent report found that the U.S. military’s three nuclear bases have significant health hazards related to toxic materials. F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming is one of these bases that is now known to be contaminated with harmful substances, including asbestos.
The Associated Press report, released in 2023, found that the military knew about these dangerous substances according to official documents it obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. The documents show the Air Force knew about these risks since the 1980s despite announcing the sites were safe in 2001.
The report also found that several officers who once worked in the silos now have cancer. Asbestos is just one of several hazards found on the Wyoming site.[4]
Other Sites in Wyoming with Asbestos
Other industrial facilities and even public buildings in Wyoming have resulted in asbestos exposure. Some Wyoming locations with known asbestos use include:
- Natrona County High School, Casper
- University of Wyoming, Laramie
- Mobil Oil Company, Casper
- Texaco Oil Refinery, Casper
- Construction Specialties, Co., Casper
- Husky Oil Co., Casper
- Little America Refining, Casper
- Socony Mobil Oil, Casper
- Wyoming Coal and Iron Company, Alma
- Union Pacific Railroad Company, Cheyenne
- Frontier Oil, Cheyenne
- Sheet Metal Products Co., Cheyenne
- Standard Oil Company, Casper
- Sinclair Oil Company, Sinclair
- Allied Chemical Plant, Green River
- Continental Oil Company, Manville
- Dave Johnston Steam Electric Plant, Glenrock
- Jim Bridger Power Plant, Point of Rocks
- Pacific Power and Light, Rock Springs
Can Wyoming Residents and Workers Still Be Exposed to Asbestos?
The heaviest asbestos exposure occurred in the past. Today, greater awareness of the dangers and safety regulations have decreased the risks significantly.
Unfortunately, the risk is not zero. People in Wyoming are at risk from natural deposits of asbestos and erionite, but mostly from lingering asbestos in older buildings. A few examples highlight the ongoing dangers of asbestos in Wyoming:
- A dentist in Cheyenne faced federal criminal negligence charges in 2020 because of asbestos. While remodeling a building to house his practice, inspectors told Richard Cutler that it had asbestos. In spite of knowing this, he failed to have it abated by trained professionals. The construction workers on the job were not warned nor given safety gear as they tore out the old materials, including those with asbestos.[5]
- In 2022, Eldon Rimmasch, the owner of Wasatch Railroad Contractors, faced wire fraud and knowing endangerment charges. His company was hired to restore a train for the National Park Service. He knowingly exposed workers to asbestos and did not provide them with safety gear or training.[6]
- A maintenance worker at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming reported his and other workers’ asbestos exposure in an old lodge. As a result, the concession company responsible gave him bad reviews and did not renew his contract. He filed a retaliation claim, and since the incident, the company has been fined for the exposure incidents.[7]
What Are the Asbestos Laws in Wyoming?
Asbestos laws in the state address ongoing risks of exposure and the lawsuit filing process.
Asbestos Safety Regulations
Asbestos is managed and regulated through the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality. The department is responsible for enforcing regulations related to inspections and abatement of asbestos. Workers in the state handling asbestos projects must be trained.
The department also holds courses for asbestos workers to teach them how to follow state and federal regulations. There are also strict rules about asbestos disposal, which must occur in designated landfills.[8]
Statute of Limitations
Wyoming has a statute of limitations when filing an asbestos-related lawsuit. Someone who is sick from asbestos exposure has four years from diagnosis to begin a lawsuit against responsible parties.
To file a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of a family member who died from an asbestos-related illness, the statute of limitations is two years from the time of death.
Contact a Wyoming Mesothelioma Lawyer for Free Today
To take the greatest advantage of what a defendant may be able to offer you in a lawsuit, you need the assistance of an experienced Wyoming mesothelioma lawyer.
With an experienced attorney on your side, you will avoid the pitfalls that often prevent plaintiffs from getting the justice and compensation they deserve. Your lawyer will help you file the lawsuit and gather evidence. They will also advocate for a settlement to cover your medical and other expenses.
