Asbestos and Mesothelioma from Papermaking
Representation in Asbestos Lawsuits
Paper mill workers who worked those jobs from the 1940s to 1970s have a disproportionate incidence of mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer. In addition to asbestos contamination from machinery common at many industrial plants, the giant dryer felts once used to make paper contained substantial amounts of the toxic mineral.
The attorneys at Wallace & Graham have secured verdicts and settlements against paper mills, felt manufacturers and other product makers for their willful disregard of the known health effects of asbestos. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, we represent clients across the nation. Call 1-800-849-5291 for a free consultation.
Dryer Felts — One Big Sheet of Deadly Asbestos
Paper mills operate on a grand scale — huge vats, boilers and turbines, hundreds of yards of pipes, giant presses and rollers. The machinists who kept the apparatus working were exposed to asbestos in the pipe and boiler insulation, pump and valve packing and fire retardant blankets. Employees had no inkling they were inhaling cancer-causing fibers.
The paperworkers were also subjected directly to asbestos. Massive felts half the size of a football field were used to wick excess moisture in drying stages. The dry end was made of wool, the wet end largely composed of asbestos. The dryer felts were replaced periodically, the 200-foot-long sheets cut and fitted by many hands. The loose fibers were not only inhaled by workers but often carried home where family members were exposed.
Many paper mill owners and manufacturers of papermaking felts were aware of the hazards for years before litigation and legislation forced their hands. All these decades later, some workers are just beginning to experience the symptoms of malignant mesothelioma and lung cancer from the unprotected contact.
Our lawyers have successfully sued major paper companies and dryer felt manufacturers, including Weavexx, Albany, Asten Johnson, Mount Vernon and Scapa. Our top priority is diagnosis and medical benefits for clients to begin life-extending treatment as soon as possible. We also pursue injury and wrongful death damages for loss of income, the victim's pain and suffering, and survivors' loss of companionship and support.
Contact us today for a free case evaluation.
