MINNESOTA MESOTHELIOMA LAWYERS
Minnesota is the twelfth largest state geographically and is ranked twenty-first in terms of population. The principal sources of asbestos exposure in Minnesota are found in the mining industry (iron ore and taconite in particular). Other sources include power plants, paper mills, and the home insulation industry.
Minnesota is the Nation’s largest producer of iron ore and taconite. The Hull Rust Mahoning Mine, which is the world’s large open pit iron ore mine, is located in Minnesota. Over two billion tons of rock have been removed from Hull Rust, and operations still continue.
Minnesota’s climate fostered industries with known asbestos exposure. In particular, the home insulation industry exposed workers. The production and installation of home insulation materials is a potential source of asbestos exposure.
OCCUPATIONS AT RISK
Below is a list of occupations that put Minnesota 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:
- Boilermakers
- Brick and stone masons
- Construction workers
- Drywall tapers
- Electric power linemen and cable men
- Electricians
- Engineers
- Furnace men, smelter-men and pourers
- Heavy equipment mechanics
- Industrial plant workers
- Insulators
- Iron workers
- Laborers
- Machine operators
- Millwrights and mill workers
- Painters
- Pipefitters
- Plasterers
- Plumbers
- Power plant workers
- Roofers and slaters
- Sheetmetal workers
- Welders
JOB SITES WITH KNOWN ASBESTOS EXPOSURE
The following is a list of some of the Minnesota job sites where there is a potential 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 Minnesota where asbestos was used.
Mines
- American Steel
- Erie Mining Company
- J & L Steel
- Minnesota Mining Manufacturing Company
- Reserve Mining Company
- U.S. Steel Corporatioin
- LTV Steel Company
Power Plants
- Austin Municipal
- Hoot Lake Power Plant
- Minnesota Power and Light
- Municipal Power Plant
- Otter Tail Power Company
- Owatonna Power Plant
- Willmar Power Plant
Paper Mills
- Blandin Paper Company
- Minnesota and Ontario Paper Company
- Boise Cascade Paper Mill
- Northwest Paper Company
Construction
- Owens Illinois Glass Company
- Ericksons Sheetmetal
- Federal Building
- Minneapolis Court House
- 3M Company
- Asbestos Insulation & Supply Company
- Fargo-Moorhead Insulation Company
- Vono Pipe Covering Company
Other Industry
- Big Bear Store
- Burlington Northern Inc.
- Great Northern Railroad Company
- Chemical & Industrial Corporation
- Dow Chemical Company
- Duluth Air Force Base
- Hamm Brewery
- International Refinery
- Larson Industrial Inc.
- Larson Boat Works Inc.
- Midwestern Gas Transmission
- Modern Plumbing & Heating
- Paul W. Abbott Company, Inc.
- Shoppe Plumbing & Heating
- Ace Manufacturing, Inc.
- General Mills, Inc.
- U.S. Corp of Engineers
- Wright Plumbing & Heating
MESOTHELIOMA IN MINNESOTA
Mesothelioma is a deadly cancer of the lining of the lungs and abdomen, which is caused by asbestos exposure. Like other asbestos diseases, mesothelioma has a long latency period. This means that a person usually develops mesothelioma after the initial exposure to asbestos – usually between 10 and 50 years later. Due to this latency period, the number of Minnesota mesothelioma deaths continues to rise.
According to the federal government, 345 Minnesota residents died of mesothelioma between 1999-1004. In comparison to other states, Minnesota ranks 14th in the number of mesothelioma deaths.
The Minnesota Legislature recently funded a study to assess any link between asbestos-related disease and employment within the taconite mining and processing industry. The study will also focus on the extent to which spouse were exposed to asbestos brought home by workers. The study has not been completed.
MINNESOTA MESOTHELIOMA LAWYER
If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, and you believe you were exposed to asbestos in Minnesota, 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 a lawsuit.
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.