asbestos Archives | Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman LLP

Cancer-Causing Asbestos Found Near Honolulu Vermiculite Plant

Posted on May 6, 2025May 19, 2025 by Candice Paddock

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.

Women In Law Virtual Roundtable Q&A with Victoria Chang

Posted on March 11, 2025May 16, 2025 by Candice Paddock

Victoria Chang is a veteran trial lawyer and passionate advocate for individuals who have been injured by dangerous products and reckless and negligent practices. Victoria has spent her career litigating on behalf of those who were injured by the wrongdoing of others. Before joining Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman, she worked for 10 years as a prosecutor focusing on obtaining justice for victims of sexual assault, both minors and adults. That background provides valuable expertise for her practice representing sex assault victims in civil litigation against schools and other institutions and organizations when they fail to protect individuals in their care. Victoria also represents individuals who have been harmed by dangerous and defective products, including exposure to materials and products containing cancer-causing asbestos and other harmful chemicals.

Women In Law Virtual Roundtable Q&A with Elizabeth Nardi

Posted on March 11, 2025May 16, 2025 by Candice Paddock

A veteran lawyer with extensive courtroom experience, Elizabeth is a litigator in Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman’s Maui office. Her practice focuses on obtaining justice for individuals impacted by the Maui fires. A Lahaina resident who evacuated and lost her home during the August 8 fires, Beth brings first-hand perspective of the challenges facing victims. In addition, her practice focuses litigation related to asbestos exposure and exposure to Monsanto’s Roundup pesticide. She also represents victims of child sexual abuse.

Before joining the firm, Elizabeth served more than 10 years as a deputy prosecutor in Hawaii and California, where she handled a wide variety of criminal jury trials to verdict. Elizabeth earned her law degree from California Western School of Law and her bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara.

How to Ensure Your Home Is Safe from Asbestos Dangers

Posted on January 29, 2025November 20, 2024 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, 2025November 20, 2024 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, 2024November 20, 2024 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, 2024November 20, 2024 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.

Global Mesothelioma Cases Surge as Asbestos Use Continues

Posted on October 29, 2024November 20, 2024 by Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman

Cases of mesothelioma around the world have been increasing along with a rise in the global use of asbestos, despite an acknowledgment more than 40 years ago by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) that all forms of asbestos are carcinogenic.

Asbestos exposure causes mesothelioma, a cancer of the tissue that lines the lungs, chest wall, and abdomen. Given that asbestos continues to be used globally in a variety of commercial products, it’s not surprising that mesothelioma cases and deaths associated with the disease have been rising too.

EPA Ban on Chrysotile Asbestos Will Save Lives, Hold Corporations Accountable

Posted on July 9, 2024November 20, 2024 by Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman

After years of tireless work by advocacy groups on behalf of cancer victims, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finally taking action against asbestos, a dangerous substance known to cause cancer, severe illness and countless fatalities each year.

In March 2024, the EPA took a major step toward protecting Americans from asbestos exposure with a historic ban on a common type of asbestos known as chrysotile. It was the first substantive move to protect Americans from asbestos exposure in decades.

Managing Partner Ilana Waxman Earns National Trial Lawyers Honor

Posted on June 18, 2024November 20, 2024 by Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman

Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman is proud to announce that Managing Partner Ilana Waxman has been recognized among the nation’s top plaintiffs civil trial lawyers by the National Trial Lawyers organization.

Waxman was singled out by the invitation-only organization based on her work on behalf of individuals diagnosed with mesothelioma from asbestos exposure, as well as victims of childhood sexual assault. Her practice also focuses on representation of families of children born with birth defects due to exposure to toxic chemicals and individuals suffering from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma from exposure to Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide.