El Paso, Texas, is situated on the Rio Grande River and has a current population of 650,000. By the early 1900s, the city had grown into a significant manufacturing and transportation center. Its long history of manufacturing and industry, including oil refineries and military bases, has made asbestos exposure a constant concern. (mesothelioma.com).
Some of the El Paso companies that have exposed employees to asbestos are:
- Border Steel Mill
- Rio Grande Power Station
- Standard Oil Company
- Texaco Oil Refinery
- Chevron USA
- Chevron Refinery
- Fort Bliss Army Base
- Gulf
- El Paso and Southwestern Railroad
- City of El Paso Water Works
- Frontier Roofing
- International Light and Power Company
If you or a loved one were employed by one of these or other El Paso companies and have been diagnosed with asbestos cancer, you could be entitled to compensation for your losses.
High-Industries for Asbestos Exposure in El Paso and Texas
According to the CDC, there were 2,191 deaths from mesothelioma in Texas from 1999 through 2015. (CDC.gov). The state has a death rate from asbestos cancer of five people per million, which is below the national average. Orange and Jefferson counties had higher asbestos cancer mortality rates from 2000 through 2009, with rates between 22 and 25 per million people.
Oil Refineries
Oil refineries in El Paso, Dallas, and Houston regularly exposed workers to asbestos for years, endangering their long-term health. Oil refineries are big business in Texas and have created tens of thousands of jobs over the years. But asbestos was frequently used in the construction of refineries because of its high resistance to heat and chemical reactions.
Shipbuilding
Texas has been a popular state for shipyards because of its location on the Gulf of Mexico. Some of the shipyards in the state that exposed workers to asbestos include American Bridge Shipyard, Port Adams Shipyard, and Todd Houston Shipbuilding Corporation. While thousands of men and women were paid well for their work, they also were exposed to asbestos in the building of ships.
Asbestos was used as insulation around pipes and boilers and throughout ocean-going vessels, which exposed countless workers to a risk of mesothelioma.
Military
Approximately 30% of mesothelioma diagnoses are among military veterans. Asbestos was widely used in all branches of the military starting in the early 20th century until the 1980s. Aircraft, ships, and buildings on military bases were some of the areas were service members could have been exposed to asbestos.
Fort Bliss in El Paso is known to have asbestos in its buildings. Other bases in Texas with asbestos contamination problems are Bergstrom Air Force Base in Austin and the Naval Station Ingleside in Corpus Christi.
Manufacturing
Manufacturers can create many different products, but they often caused asbestos exposure among their workers in El Paso and Texas. Equipment frequently contained asbestos, such as gaskets to shield against heat. The buildings themselves often contained asbestos insulation to protect against fire.
Chemical Plants
Many chemical plants in El Paso and across Texas contained asbestos insulation to protect against fire and dangerous chemical reactions. Some of them include Dow Chemical, Phillips Chemical Company, and Nalco Chemical Plant.
El Paso and Texas Asbestos Lawsuits
Texas has been a popular state for asbestos cancer claims, but the number of lawsuits has decreased in the last 10 years. (asbestos.com). From 1988 through 2000, Texas was among the top five in the US with the most asbestos lawsuit filings in state and federal courts. In fact, in the mid-1990s, three Texas counties – Harris, Galveston, and Jefferson – accounted for 42% of new asbestos lawsuit filings.
In 2005, the state passed SB 15. (Capitol.Texas.gov). This is a state law that created specific medical criteria for mesothelioma claims. Plaintiffs were required to show they had an asbestos-related disability before they filed their lawsuit. The law cleared most asbestos exposure victims who were not sick out of Texas courts. This action allowed people with asbestos-related diseases to get mesothelioma compensation faster.
Despite the new law, many Texans have received compensation from companies that exposed them to asbestos, including:
- August 2001: A jury in El Paso awarded $55 million to a mesothelioma victim and his family. The lawsuit was filed against Kelly-Moore Paint Company, the former employer of the plaintiff. It was the largest asbestos cancer verdict in state history at the time.
- September 2001: An Orange, Texas, jury awarded $130 million to five people who developed asbestosis, lung cancer, and colon cancer after they worked at US Pipe in Birmingham, Alabama.
- July 2012: A painter in Dallas, Texas was awarded $11 million from several corporations that exposed him to asbestos over several decades. He worked daily with asbestos-containing materials including drywall compounds and textured paint
El Paso and Texas Asbestos Attorney Information
If you were diagnosed with mesothelioma in El Paso or in another Texas city, consider contacting one of the mesothelioma attorneys below:
Daspit Law Firm
440 Louisiana St., Suite 1400
Houston, Texas, 7002
(832) 687-2942
www.daspitlawelpaso.com
Mesothelioma litigation is known for its complexity. That is why it is important for mesothelioma victims and their loved ones to hire proven asbestos exposure attorneys to safeguard their legal rights. These El Paso attorneys have the resources and experience to get you the mesothelioma compensation you deserve.
Davie & Valdez, P.C.
1801 North Stanton Street
El Paso, Texas, 79902
(915) 838-1100
www.dvmlawyers.com
As a Texas worker, you have a right to work in a safe environment. But some employers in this state act in a manner that endangers their workers. If you have been exposed to asbestos in El Paso and have mesothelioma, you can count on the attorneys at Davie & Valdez to get you as much mesothelioma compensation as possible.
Wayne Wright Personal Injury Lawyers
10801 Gateway Blvd., Suite 100
El Paso, Texas, 79935
(915) 301-8255
www.waynewrightelpaso.com
People in El Paso and across Texas that have been exposed to asbestos and have cancer may be saddled with high medical bills and can no longer work. The personal injury attorneys at Wayne Wright know how to find the companies that exposed you to asbestos and hold them accountable.
Get El Paso 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.