Asbestos fibers, made from natural minerals, are used to make plaster, insulation, drywall and other commercial building products. The dangerous properties of asbestos were first documented over fifty years ago, and yet it is still widely used today. The dangers of asbestos are so great that from 1999 to 2013, between 128,000 and 160,000 people died from asbestos exposure. Of those deaths, 9,395 were people living in New Jersey. The most common result of toxic asbestos exposure is malignant mesothelioma cancer, for which there is no cure and prognosis is usually poor. Mesothelioma can take anywhere from twenty to fifty years after exposure before it is detected and diagnosed.
EWG Action Fund, which published the report, is currently supporting a congressional bill which would mandate that companies disclose to the public which of their products are made from asbestos. Companies would have to report the information both in their annual reports and within a searchable database.
New Jersey may rank high in mesothelioma and asbestos-related deaths because it is home to some of the country’s largest manufacturers of asbestos products, specifically Johns Mansville in Somerset County and Honeywell International in Morristown. Johns Mansville had previously filed bankruptcy in 1982 following numerous lawsuits after many of its employees died from asbestos-related diseases. When the company finally emerged from bankruptcy in 1988, it established a special fund for employees and their family members who had become ill from asbestos exposure. Honeywell International, located in Morris County, where 428 people died from asbestos exposure from 1999 to 2013, is currently fielding numerous lawsuits itself.
If you or a loved one is suffering from mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure, New Jersey mesothelioma lawyers at Brookman, Rosenberg, Brown & Sandler will fight to get you the compensation you deserve. Our New Jersey asbestos lawyers have been successfully advocating for victims of asbestos exposure in New Jersey for over thirty years. For a free consultation, call our offices at 1-800-369-0899 or fill out our online contact form. With offices conveniently located in Center City Philadelphia, we serve victims of asbestos exposure throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
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