Construction workers diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease like mesothelioma have a right to file a lawsuit to seek financial compensation for their disease. Our firm is at the forefront of asbestos litigation in the United States.

Courts today recognize that most buildings built before 1980 contain construction materials made of asbestos, a naturally occurring material prized for it fire-retardant properties but long associated with the development of certain fatal cancers, including lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma. Mesothelioma claims the lives of 3,000 Americans every year.

Although many people believe that asbestos is banned within the United States, this is not the case. In fact, though it is becoming less common, asbestos is still used in roofing, flooring, and construction appliances. As recently as 2007, the United States imported and used 1,820 tons of asbestos.

An estimated 1.3 million employees in the U.S. construction industry currently face significant asbestos exposure on their jobs, according to U.S. health organizations.

Asbestos in construction

For today's construction worker, there are two main work situations that lead to asbestos exposure. The first is exposure from new  products still being used in the industry. The second occurs during the remediation of old buildings, where asbestos was used in everything, including paneling, building insulation and even cement.

When construction workers go into old buildings they are potentially exposed to deteriorating asbestos materials that can easily become airborne. Regular on-the-job inhalation of airborne asbestos fibers is the most dangerous and most common form of exposure.

Notably, most asbestos diseases take 20 or even 40 years to develop after the initial exposure. Veteran construction workers who have been in the industry for several decades are now coming forward to say their work environment led to a diagnosis of mesothelioma, asbestosis or lung cancer, attributed by their doctors to long-term work-related asbestos exposure.

Time to seek justice

Weitz & Luxenberg has protected the legal rights of asbestos-injured construction employees since 1986. Since then, the firm's mesothelioma lawyers have won several billion dollars in verdicts and settlements.

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and seek a free case review, please notify us through the communication form on this page. We will evaluate your claim and pursue it with vigilance. Please know, there is no cost to you until we secure a rightful verdict or settlement.