Top mesothelioma lawyers in Laredo, TX

Chemical plants

Texas built one of the nation's largest chemical manufacturing bases along the Gulf Coast, and workers from the Laredo area often took jobs there. Plant maintenance meant repeated shutdowns and repairs on insulated equipment. Jot down which plants and years your relative remembers, since this history can matter later.

Reactors, heat exchangers and process piping were insulated with asbestos and stripped repeatedly during turnarounds.

Shipyards and naval vessels

Laredo is inland, but many South Texas men and women served in the Navy or worked in Gulf Coast shipyards, including the Texas coast and nearby ports. Ship work in tight engine and boiler rooms is a common thread in many work histories. Service records and old crew names can help fill in details.

Ships were insulated with asbestos throughout the engine and boiler rooms, and the spaces were tight and unventilated.

Steel mills and foundries

Texas has had steel mills and foundries serving the oil patch and heavy industry, and some Laredo area workers found jobs in them or in similar plants across the state. Furnace and equipment work was hot, heavy, and often done in older buildings. Old pay stubs and union cards can help recall where and when.

Furnace linings, protective clothing and equipment insulation all used asbestos because of the heat.

Construction and the building trades

Laredo grew quickly as a border and trade city through the mid-1900s, and the building trades grew with it. Homes, schools, warehouses, and commercial buildings went up in an era when asbestos products were common. If your relative worked any of these trades, even for short stretches, mention every job site you can recall.

Joint compound, pipe wrap, floor tile, roofing and fireproofing spray all contained asbestos, and cutting them released it.

Power stations

Texas power generation expanded across the mid-1900s, and South Texas workers took jobs at stations around the state and in nearby regions. Boilers and steam piping were part of daily work, and outages brought crews together. Coworker names from those jobs can be very useful later, so write down who you remember.

Boilers, turbines and miles of steam piping were wrapped in asbestos, and outage work disturbed all of it at once.

A wrongful death claim

After a death, the estate and family bring the claim, usually through the personal representative named in the will or appointed by the court, under its own rules.

Asbestos trust fund claims

Companies bankrupted by asbestos liabilities set up trusts to pay claims; the Government Accountability Office counted 60 in 2011. Each sets its own criteria and is filed separately.

VA benefits for veterans

Veterans with a condition caused by asbestos contact during service may qualify for VA compensation. The VA asks for medical records, service records and a doctor's linking statement.

Family members exposed at home

Some people were exposed to dust carried home on a worker's clothes, hair or car. Take-home claims exist, but whether one can be brought depends on the state.