Asbestos Archives | Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman LLP

Mesothelioma Litigation and Asbestos Exposure: What Hawai‘i Veterans Need to Know

Posted on December 10, 2025December 9, 2025 by Candice Paddock

For veterans stationed in Hawai‘i during their service, health risks from military service did not end when they left the armed forces. Asbestos — once used widely on Navy ships, in shipyards, and in base housing — continues to impact the lives of those who served. The danger of asbestos exposure is not just a historical footnote. It remains a present-day reality for veterans diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses. For them, mesothelioma litigation is just one way to pursue justice.

Why Asbestos Matters for Veterans

Asbestos is the only known cause of mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer that affects the lining of the lungs, abdomen or heart. Because mesothelioma symptoms may take decades to appear, many veterans often learn of their illness long after retiring from the military. For families in Hawai‘i and those who served here, understanding both the medical and legal aspects of asbestos exposure is an important step in securing care and justice.

Is Mesothelioma Deadly? 5 Things to Know About This Disease

Posted on October 15, 2025December 9, 2025 by Candice Paddock

You may have heard about mesothelioma, a rare but aggressive cancer. You may think it is becoming a thing of the past or could never affect you or your family. But this disease continues to affect thousands of people each year. And, yes, it is deadly.

The Basics of Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma affects the tissue that surrounds most internal organs, including lungs, stomach and intestines. This disease has one clear cause: asbestos exposure. Exposure to even small amounts of this fibrous, naturally occurring substance can lead to mesothelioma over time. Asbestos was widely used in construction, automotive and other products for years. And asbestos also contaminates talc products like baby powders and cosmetics.

Risk of asbestos exposure complicates reno work on State Capitol building

Posted on July 29, 2025August 28, 2025 by Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman

A major upgrade planned for the Hawai‘i ‘State Capitol building is complicated by concern that workers could be exposed to cancer-causing asbestos. The project has already been plagued by a hefty price tag—estimated at up to $100 million—and the potential prolonged closure of the building.

When the Hawai‘i State Capitol building last underwent major renovations in the 1990s, the project included removing asbestos present throughout the structure. Former Gov. John Waiheʻe acknowledged that although he had been assured that all asbestos had been removed from the building, particles might be discovered once the planned renovation work gets underway.

Hawai‘i’s Asbestos Legacy: A Growing Mesothelioma Threat

Posted on July 1, 2025August 18, 2025 by Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman

Mesothelioma deaths in the U.S. surged by 20% between 1990 and 2019, according to BMC Public Health. This increase is tied directly to decades of asbestos exposure, especially among workers in construction, shipbuilding, military service, and manufacturing.

The rise in cases is particularly alarming in Hawai‘i, where thousands of veterans have been exposed to asbestos while working on Navy ships, submarines and maintenance facilities at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard since World War II. The state health department reported over 700 asbestos-related deaths between 1999 and 2017, including 139 from mesothelioma.

Cancer-Causing Asbestos Found Near Honolulu Vermiculite Plant

Posted on May 6, 2025August 18, 2025 by Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman

More than 40 years since a vermiculite-processing facility near the Honolulu airport was shuttered over concerns about asbestos contamination, harmful vermiculite and asbestiform tremolite residue remains in the soil placing nearby Honolulu residents at risk.

Hawai’i factory’s troubled history

For decades, the facility known as the Vermiculite of Hawai’i Plant operated near the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport processing vermiculite shipped from a Libby, Montana, mine operated by W.R. Grace & Co. The plant used an exfoliation process that released asbestos particles into the air.

Although the Hawai’i facility closed in 1983 and remediation was performed in 2001, a new study confirms that dangerous levels of vermiculite and asbestiform tremolite remain. As asbestos and fibrous particles can persist in soil and air for years, the risk to nearby residents remains.

Navy Veterans Face Higher Risk of Mesothelioma

Posted on February 25, 2025August 18, 2025 by Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman

Navy veterans have been exposed to cancer-causing asbestos fibers at levels higher than other branches of the military, according to new research.

According to a study of British and Australian veterans published in Scientific Reports, naval personnel have been exposed to higher levels of asbestos because of the time they spent on ships and submarines, particularly for service members who worked in engine rooms, where maintenance procedures involved disturbance of asbestos on pipework, turbines, boilers and other machinery. As a result, sailors suffer high rates of asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancer, even when other lifestyle factors are controlled.

How to Ensure Your Home Is Safe from Asbestos Dangers

Posted on January 29, 2025August 18, 2025 by Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman

While Hawaiʻi residents are increasingly aware of the serious health risks associated with occupational exposure to asbestos in the workplace and from military service, many don’t realize how frequently they may come in contact with the material.

Used for insulation, as a fire retardant and many other applications, asbestos can be found in homes and in military housing throughout Hawaiʻi. In addition, generations have been exposed to asbestos in the workplace and in military service.

Hidden Asbestos Danger Lurks in Aging Homes, Buildings

Posted on January 14, 2025August 18, 2025 by Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman

Asbestos has been widely used in the construction of buildings in Hawai‘i for generations. According to the Hawai‘i State Department of Health, most residential buildings in Hawaii contain some asbestos, which can be found in ceilings, walls, insulation and flooring.

While these materials pose little risk when a building is kept in good condition, they become hazardous when asbestos is disturbed. Storms, high winds and natural disasters can cause minute fibers to break away and create a risk to human health.

Despite restrictions on asbestos, Hawai‘i residents continue to succumb to mesothelioma cancer

Posted on December 18, 2024August 18, 2025 by Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman

While it’s well-established that the deadly form of cancer known as mesothelioma is caused solely by exposure to asbestos, thousands of people throughout the U.S. mainland and Hawaii continue to die from the disease every year.

About 3,000 cases of mesothelioma are registered each year in the United States. In Hawaii, there are approximately 38 asbestos-related deaths a year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

Mesothelioma was discovered in the late nineteenth century and gradually came to be associated with exposure to asbestos. The mineral has been used throughout history, but as the Industrial Revolution took hold, more and more uses were found.

Asbestos and Mesothelioma Aren’t Going Away

Posted on December 3, 2024August 18, 2025 by Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman

The serious health risks associated with asbestos exposure have been known for generations. The naturally occurring fiber is the only known cause of mesothelioma, an incurable and deadly form of cancer of the lining of the lungs and internal organs. Legal and regulatory scrutiny of asbestos use has ramped up over the years — including a 2024 ban on chrysotile asbestos — but an alarming number of Americans continue to die from mesothelioma every year. While mesothelioma diagnosis rates have fallen among men, they have remained steady among women.