VERMONT MESOTHELIOMA LAWYERS

Vermont is located in the New England region of the United States. It is the only New England state that does not border the Atlantic Ocean. In 1647, French Explorer, Samuel De Champlain named the state’s great mountains, “Verd Mont” meaning “green mountains”.

The Green Mountains of Vermont can also be called the “Asbestos Mountains.” The mountains produce a greenish-hue from the minerals contained within them, predominately quartz, chlorite and mica. These minerals also produce a considerable amount of serpentine. Serpentine is the foundation of chrysotile asbestos.

The first commercial asbestos mine in the U.S. dates back to 1899. The mine was the New England Asbestos Mining and Milling Company, located on Mount Belvedere, Vermont. The mine was not in operation for very long and closed in 1902. However, the asbestos mine was re-opened after World War I in 1929 under the name of “Eden-Belvadere.” Vermont was fundamental in the commercial asbestos mining industry and supplied almost all of the asbestos used in the U.S. for a brief period of time. The current clean up at Belevedere mountain continues to be an asbestos concern for the residents of Vermont.

Hundreds of Vermont residents have died from mesothelioma or asbestosis over the past 40 years. Because asbestos-related cancers develop decades after exposure, asbestos-related deaths continue to be found among people in Vermont. Experts believe that the incidence of mesothelioma will continue to rise for many years before reaching its peak, followed by a gradual decline. Thousands of mesothelioma cases will continue to be diagnosed nationally for many years to come.

OCCUPATIONS AT RISK

Below is a list of occupations that put Vermont workers at a known risk of asbestos exposure. If you worked in one of these occupations in the 1980s or earlier, there is a good chance that you were exposed to asbestos:

Aircraft Mechanics & Repairmen
Automobile Mechanics
Boilermakers
Brick and Stone Masons
Carpenters
Chemical Plant Workers
Construction Workers
Crane and Hoist Men
Drill Press Operators
Drywall Workers & Tapers
Electric Power Linemen & Cable Men
Electricians
Engineers
Firefighters
Foundry Workers
Heavy Equipment Mechanics
HVAC Workers
Industrial Engineers
Industrial Plant Workers
Insulators
Iron Workers
Laborers
Longshoremen and Stevedores
Machine Operators
Machinists
Mechanical Engineer
Merchant Marines
Metal Lathers
Millwrights & Mill Workers
Paper Mill Workers
Painters
Pipefitters
Plasterers
Plumbers
Power Plant Workers
Railroad Workers
Roofers and Slaters
Sheet metal Workers
Shipyard Workers
Steamfitters
Textile Operators and Workers
Tile Setters
U.S. Navy Veterans
Welders

JOB SITES WITH KNOWN ASBESTOS EXPOSURE

The following is a list of some of the Vermont job sites where there is a documented use of asbestos products. If you or a family member worked at one of these places, you may be at a heightened risk of asbestos disease.

If you believe that you may have been exposed to asbestos at your own job, please contact a mesothelioma attorney for more information. There are many other job sites in Vermont where asbestos was used.

Air Route Surveillance Radar
Beecher Falls Manufacturing
Blodgett Supply Company, Inc.
Champlain Valley Union High School
Fort Ethan Allen
General Electric
Gilman Paper Co
GMC Infirmary
Green Mountain College
Hiawaitha School
IBM
Industrial Insulation, Inc.
Koffee & Teachout
Lejtieoman Allen
Mary Fletcher Hospital
National Life Insurance Company
North Country Union High School
Owens Illinois Plywood Company
Owens-Illinois, Inc.
Roddis Plywood Corp
Rutland Hospital
St. Johnsbury Trucking Terminal
University of Vermont

MESOTHELIOMA IN VERMONT

The high levels of asbestos used in Vermont industries have been reflected in the health of Vermont workers, hundreds of whom have died from asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma. Like other asbestos diseases, mesothelioma has a long latency period. This means that a person usually develops mesothelioma long after the initial exposure to asbestos — usually between 10 and 50 years later.

Due to this latency period, the number of Vermont mesothelioma deaths continues to rise even though asbestos is seldom used in Vermont today. The most significant risk of exposure today comes from the removal of asbestos containing products particularly when buildings are demolished.

The state of Vermont is ranked number 46 in the United States for mesothelioma cases. Vermont has a crude mortality ranking of 13th in the country and a death rate of 14.55 per million. Other statistics show the age-adjusted death rate for mesothelioma to be 9.4 deaths per million per year.

VERMONT MESOTHELIOMA LAWYER

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, and you believe you were exposed to asbestos in Vermont, it is important that you contact a skilled attorney with experience in asbestos litigation. In addition, time is of the essence, because you have a limited amount of time to file suit.

We urge you to contact one of our mesothelioma lawyers for a free consultation. We can help you investigate the sources of your exposure, and determine what companies were responsible.