Baltimore was established in 1729, and today the Baltimore metro area has a population of 2.5 million. In the 20th century, Baltimore became a hub for steel companies, oil refineries, and other heavy industries. If you lived or worked in Baltimore for years, you may have been exposed to asbestos.
High-Industries for Asbestos Exposure in Baltimore and Maryland
From 1999 through 2015, 779 people in Baltimore and Maryland died from mesothelioma. The state has an average mesothelioma death rate of 8 people per million. (CDC.gov). There also are 22 known asbestos deposits in Maryland where people can be exposed to asbestos. The highest rate of mesothelioma in the state is around Baltimore and Washington DC.
The greatest exposure to asbestos in the state is in the Baltimore area because of shipbuilding and other heavy industry that has occurred there over the decades.
Shipbuilding
Because Maryland is on the Chesapeake Bay, there are many opportunities for shipyards, dry docks, and other shipping-related facilities where workers were exposed to asbestos. Companies including Bethlehem Steel, which constructed a shipyard at Sparrow’s Point, caused thousands of employees to get mesothelioma, asbestosis, and other asbestos-related conditions.
Some other ship manufacturers around Baltimore that exposed workers to asbestos were Maryland Shipbuilding & Drydock Company, Newport News Shipyard, and Key Highway Shipyard.
Power Plants
Asbestos was often used in power plants to prevent fires and insulate wires from heat and electricity. Maryland was the home of the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, which was especially dangerous because of many hazardous materials, including asbestos. Other power plants around Baltimore that exposed workers to asbestos were Basco Power Electric, Potomac Electric Power Company, and Glen Burnie Powerhouse.
Higher Education
Many college campus buildings in the state and in Baltimore contain asbestos because they were constructed many decades ago. Students and faculty can be exposed to asbestos and can develop mesothelioma. The University of Maryland has had many asbestos problems, with at least 90 buildings containing the deadly mineral at the College Park and Catonsville campuses. Other colleges that have had asbestos exposure problems include Johns Hopkins University, Maryland State College, and Washington College.
Military
The US Naval Academy is based in Annapolis, not far from Baltimore. The Academy has been the site of heavy asbestos exposure for many military veterans. Other military bases in the state have exposed military members to asbestos, including the US Army Corporation of Engineers in Aberdeen and the US Naval Ordnance Laboratory in Silver Spring.
Curtis Bay Coast Guard Shipyard
The Curtis Bay Yard in Baltimore has built and fixed ships for the US Coast Guard since 1899. The activity was at its peak in World War II when 3,000 workers were employed there. Many workers were exposed to asbestos which was often used in the construction of Coast Guard ships. Many developed mesothelioma later in life.
Baltimore Marine Industries (Sparrow’s Point)
The Sparrow’s Point shipyard was run by the Bethlehem Steel Company and was later renamed Baltimore Marine Industries. The company began as the biggest steel mill in the world, but in the late 1800s, shipbuilding and repairs started and were a major part of the business in the 1930s and 1940s.
Over the next 40 years, the shipyard started to construct supertankers that could haul vast amounts of cargo. Throughout its history, heavy use of asbestos increased the chances of workers getting sick with mesothelioma later in life.
Baltimore and Maryland Asbestos Lawsuits
Maryland courts have seen many asbestos lawsuits because of Maryland’s transportation and industrial industries have exposed so many workers to asbestos. In an attempt to serve the sickest people first, Baltimore was the first jurisdiction in the state to have an active and inactive asbestos docket. The illest patients are placed on the active docket and plaintiffs who are not sick are placed on the inactive docket.
Maryland courts have found in favor in many cases of those who said they developed mesothelioma from secondary asbestos exposure. Secondary exposure occurs when asbestos is brought home on the clothes of the worker, leading to exposure in the family. Some of the secondary asbestos exposure lawsuits in the state include:
- Georgia-Pacific vs Pransky: A woman was awarded $9 million by a jury after she got asbestos cancer from exposure to asbestos joint compound her father used to make repairs in their basement.
- Grimshaw vs. Anchor Packing: A woman received $3.2 million after she claimed she got asbestosis that came from exposure to her stepfather’s clothes.
- Grewe vs. Ford Motor Company: A jury in Baltimore awarded $8 million to the family of a car mechanic after his death from mesothelioma in 1993. He worked at Foreign Motors for 33 years and often worked on brakes and clutches that contained asbestos.
Baltimore Attorney Information
If you or your loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, please consult with one of the Maryland-based attorneys below:
The Yost Legal Group
341 North Calvert St.
Baltimore MD 21202
(800) 967-8529
www.yostlaw.com
If you or your loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related condition, you are sure to have many questions about what to do now. If you think your injuries were caused by asbestos exposure by a company or entity, you could be eligible for mesothelioma compensation. The Yost Legal Group can help you to get compensation to take care of your health and financial needs.
Peter Angelos Law P.C.
100 North Charles Street
Baltimore MD 21201
(410) 649-2000
www.angeloslaw.com
Peter Angelos has been one of the leading mesothelioma and asbestos law firms in the state for more than 50 years. Its attorneys have recovered millions of dollars of compensation for thousands of men and women affected by mesothelioma.
Brown Kiely LLP
4915 Saint Elmo Avenue Suite 510
Bethesda MD 20814
(410) 625-9330
www.baltimoremesotheliomalawyer.com
Have you or a loved one developed mesothelioma? Brown Kiely LLP can help you get the compensation to which you are entitled. This asbestos law firm near you has the experience and skill to get you financial assistance for your medical bills, lost wages and pain, and suffering.
Get Baltimore Mesothelioma Legal Help
With over $30 billion available for victims through the Asbestos Trust Funds, you could be entitled to financial compensations without ever filing a lawsuit. Mesothelioma & Lung Cancer victims qualify immediately. Complete the form or call us toll-free (800) 352-0871.