Over 100 stadium workers file claims of asbestos exposure

One of the devastating realities associated with asbestos exposure is that it very rarely only affects one person. When asbestos is found in a building, which is very common considering the fact that the fiber was widely used in construction materials until the 1980s, many people have likely come into contact with it before anything is done to remedy the situation. Any number of builders, tenants, visitors and workers who have spent a substantial time in a building without proper protection from airborne asbestos can end up developing a devastating disease from this exposure.

Building owners who are negligent in protecting people from asbestos or removing it safely and responsibly can ultimately be held liable when people learn that they have an asbestos-related illness. There are times it can be difficult to trace the source of exposure, but often times all it takes is one connection to be made for other people to discover they too are at risk of getting sick.

For example, after dangerous levels of asbestos were discovered in the Nassau Coliseum, which is a stadium that hosts sporting events, concerts and the circus, about 140 workers came forward to file notices of claims against various parties. Most of the workers are carpenters and electricians who have worked or currently work as independent contractors at the stadium. Collectively, the group has claimed that they were inadequately protected from the asbestos exposure they experienced while working at the site.

Reports suggest that the group of lawsuits that will be filed will likely be consolidated as class action and that the group will be looking to receive as much as $1 billion. They are naming the facility management company, the county and the New York Islanders as all playing a role in the failure to protect the workers on the site from being exposed to asbestos.

Source: CBS New York, “More Than 100 Nassau Coliseum Workers To File Lawsuits Over Asbestos Exposure,” March 25, 2013