South Carolina Asbestos Exposure Job Sites

Asbestos Exposure Job Sites in South Carolina

If you work in any job that requires you to visit multiple job sites, you could unexpectedly face serious health risks at any one of these sites. Asbestos exposure can cause mesothelioma, a fatal form of lung cancer that involves painful and debilitating symptoms with a short life expectancy after diagnosis. Asbestos exposure from job sites may be difficult to track, but the right South Carolina asbestos exposure attorney can help determine your recovery options.

Numerous other workplaces across the state are associated with asbestos exposure. It’s important to highlight that this list is not exhaustive; there are many locations within the state where asbestos exposure has been a concern. Should you have inquiries about a particular site where you or someone you know has worked, don’t hesitate to reach out.

• Duke Powerhouse – Seneca
• E.I. DuPont Camden (May Plant)
• Bowater Paper – Rock Hill
• International Paper Mill – Georgetown
• Santee Cooper Powerhouses (Jefferies – Moncks Corner & Grainger – Conway)
• Savannah River Plant
• Hoechst Celanese – Spartanburg
• Carolina Eastman – Irmo
• Westvaco/Kraft Mead – North Charleston, SC
• Charleston Naval Shipyard
• Chemstrand/Monsanto – Greenwood
• SCE&G – All across state (SCANA)

Representing Victims of Asbestos Exposure

The attorneys at Wallace & Graham have years of professional experience representing victims of asbestos exposure. We know how challenging it can be for anyone to determine the exact source of their exposure and subsequent adverse health outcomes, and we are ready to apply the full extent of our professional resources and experience to handling your case.

Many people work in one location every day to perform their job duties, while others are required to travel to multiple job sites. Some will work locally in a specific geographic region, while others are required to travel to multiple states or even across the country. During the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s, asbestos was widely used in all types of construction across the United States, so it is possible for anyone who works across multiple job sites to have faced multiple exposures to asbestos.

If you believe you have contracted an asbestos-related medical condition from your work, tracing the source of your exposure will be essential in your recovery efforts. It is possible that you were exposed at one or more locations, and determining the exact source will require careful research and uncovering various types of records for all the previous job sites where you have worked.

The average person would struggle tremendously to accomplish this, and even if they were to correctly identify the source of their exposure, navigating the recovery efforts ahead of them could be more challenging than they initially expected. When you have an experienced asbestos exposure attorney handling your case, you can approach the initial research phase with greater confidence, and you will be more likely to succeed with your case with their help.

The attorneys at Wallace & Graham have years of experience representing victims of mesothelioma, the aggressive and fatal lung cancer that develops in response to asbestos exposure. We know all the various legal challenges you might encounter as you determine your most viable options for legal recourse after a mesothelioma diagnosis, especially if you have worked at many job sites in the past and have no idea when or where you could have been exposed.

Understanding Asbestos Exposure and Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a fatal form of lung cancer only caused by exposure to asbestos. Whenever an individual breathes in asbestos particles, these small, sharp, and very light particles become embedded in the tissues of their respiratory system. Eventually, these particles cause mesothelioma. One of the most challenging issues with this disease is how long it takes for symptoms to noticeably manifest. Most diagnoses occur within 25 to 40 years after exposure.

Mesothelioma typically does not cause any noticeable symptoms until the cancer has spread significantly and has reached a critical level. Early warning signs can include shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, chest pains, and irregular heartbeat. It is also possible for mesothelioma to cause the collapse of a lung and more serious symptoms that will worsen over time.

Once symptoms appear and the victim is diagnosed, the average life expectancy for a patient at this point is only 18 months. It is possible for some individuals diagnosed with mesothelioma to survive for several years following diagnosis with appropriate medical treatment. However, the disease is incurable and ultimately fatal for everyone who develops it.

It can be incredibly frustrating to receive a mesothelioma diagnosis and realize that the condition is incurable and fatal in the very short term. This situation is even more difficult if you work a job that requires you to move constantly from job site to job site. It can seem impossible to determine when and where you were exposed, but a South Carolina asbestos exposure attorney can provide the guidance you need in this challenging situation.

Where Would I Be Exposed to Asbestos?

Asbestos was used across the United States in all types of construction, especially in commercial structures. Asbestos provides superior fireproofing, but over time, the products made with asbestos deteriorate, releasing tiny particles into the air that pose a severe health hazard to everyone exposed to them.

One of the most challenging aspects of any mesothelioma case is proving the exact source of your condition. You could have multiple recovery options available to you, including a claim to a mesothelioma injury trust, a workers’ compensation claim, or a personal injury suit, but before you can explore any of these options, you will need to firmly prove exactly where and when you were exposed to asbestos.

This can be challenging for anyone diagnosed with mesothelioma due to the incubation time of their disease. They may have been exposed to asbestos decades ago and will need to carefully review all their past workplaces to determine fault for their condition. However, it is even more challenging for someone who has visited many job sites to perform their work duties over the years.

It’s possible that if you have worked the same job for many years and have been required to visit different job sites to complete your work, you could have visited hundreds or even thousands of locations throughout your career. You would need to carefully investigate each location to determine exactly where and when you were exposed to asbestos. Hiring an experienced asbestos exposure lawyer is the optimal approach to this difficult case.

Filing a Claim to a Mesothelioma Injury Trust

Over the years, as asbestos product manufacturers and other companies have had to close their doors due to the health risks imposed by their products, many were compelled to create mesothelioma injury trusts. These trusts contain billions in as-yet unclaimed benefits for individuals afflicted with mesothelioma from past asbestos exposure.

It is possible that the company responsible for your mesothelioma has developed one of these trusts, in which case you would have grounds to file a claim to the trust and seek compensation for your condition. On average, claimants who succeed with mesothelioma injury trust claims receive anywhere from $300,000 to $400,000 in compensation.

The claim filing process is relatively straightforward, but it is still a good idea to work with an experienced asbestos exposure attorney to streamline the process. They will know how to secure the documentation you will need to submit with your claim and can help resolve any issues you encounter with the manager of the trust.

While this type of trust may offer an expedient option for recovering some compensation for your condition, this option is not available to everyone. It is also possible for an individual to have been exposed at multiple job sites owned by multiple companies, so they may have the ability to file claims to more than one mesothelioma injury trust. An experienced asbestos exposure attorney can help determine your eligibility and assist with your claims.

Workers’ Compensation Benefits for Asbestos Exposure

Almost every employer in the state is required to have workers’ compensation insurance, and the purpose of this insurance is to compensate workers who suffer injuries and develop illnesses from performing their job duties. If you have acquired mesothelioma through your work, you are eligible to file a claim. However, the claim filing process may be more challenging than you initially expect.

Your employer must facilitate your claim in good faith and meet certain legal requirements after you notify them of your condition. One of the most challenging aspects of filing a workers’ compensation claim for mesothelioma is the fact that you will need to prove exactly when and where you developed your condition to qualify for benefits. You must prove you acquired your mesothelioma from work.

An experienced asbestos exposure lawyer can be an invaluable asset for your impending case. The team at Wallace & Graham not only has extensive professional experience handling mesothelioma claims for clients throughout the Carolinas and the southern United States but also has experience with workers’ compensation cases related to asbestos exposure. We know the challenges you might encounter after filing your claim.

Our team will work carefully to review your work records and identify any former job sites at which you may have been exposed to asbestos. Once the dangers of asbestos became known, businesses across the country were required to disclose any asbestos their properties contained and take steps to have it safely removed. We know how to uncover the records for all the previous job sites where you have worked to trace the source of your exposure.

If you succeed with your workers’ compensation claim, you could secure two forms of benefits from your employer’s insurance carrier. First will be medical expense coverage. The insurance company will pay for all medical expenses you incur for the treatment of your injuries. This includes future care for complex and serious conditions. Second will be disability benefits, paid to offset the economic impact of your inability to work.

Building Your Personal Injury Case for Asbestos Exposure

While a mesothelioma injury trust claim could yield substantial compensation for your diagnosis, and you might be able to claim workers’ compensation benefits if you acquired your condition through work, these recovery options are relatively limited in terms of the extent of compensation you might obtain.

If you can prove that any other party is directly responsible for the asbestos exposure you experienced, it can form grounds for a personal injury claim. If you were exposed at multiple job sites, you may be able to seek compensation from multiple defendants, and you will need an experienced attorney’s help to succeed with your case.

Under South Carolina’s personal injury statutes, the party responsible for causing your injury is liable for all associated economic damages. You can seek accountability for the entire extent of medical expenses you face in the aftermath of your accident, and you can seek compensation for lost income. If workers’ compensation benefits are available to you, the benefits you receive may only cover a portion of these losses.

A personal injury claim allows the plaintiff to seek compensation for all economic damages that a defendant caused that they cannot recover through alternative channels. Your claimable economic damages can include any medical expenses, lost income, and lost future earning potential that you cannot recover through alternative means. Additionally, you also have the right to claim compensation for your non-economic damages.

Claiming Pain and Suffering Compensation in a Personal Injury Claim

State law acknowledges that the experience of suffering a personal injury is just as serious, if not more so, than the tangible damages resulting from the incident. The plaintiff in a personal injury case may claim as much compensation for their physical pain and psychological distress as they believe to be appropriate. State law does not limit pain and suffering compensation in most personal injury claims.

In some personal injury cases, attorneys determine appropriate pain and suffering for their clients based on the time it will take for them to fully recover from their injuries. However, it is not a realistic formula in a personal injury case pertaining to a terminal illness like mesothelioma. Instead, an attorney is more likely to use the multiplier method, meaning the plaintiff could potentially receive several times the total of their economic damages for pain and suffering.

Mesothelioma is a terminal cancer, and the average life expectancy after diagnosis is quite short. The symptoms of the disease are physically painful and debilitating, and the psychological impact of a terminal diagnosis is incredibly difficult for anyone to bear. When you choose Wallace & Graham to represent you in a personal injury case for asbestos exposure, our goal will be to maximize every aspect of your case award, including pain and suffering compensation.

What to Expect From Your Asbestos Exposure Attorney

If you intend to pursue legal recourse for your mesothelioma diagnosis related to asbestos exposure on one or more job sites in the state, you could be facing an incredibly complex series of legal proceedings that you may not know how to approach on your own. When you have an experienced attorney you can trust, you are not only more likely to succeed but also more likely to maximize your total recovery.

The attorneys at Wallace & Graham focus almost exclusively on mesothelioma claims for clients in the Carolinas and throughout the Southern United States. When you choose our firm to represent your case, you are investing in decades of professional experience and a seasoned advocate you can trust for ongoing support through all your recovery efforts.

If you contracted mesothelioma from asbestos exposure while working on multiple job sites over the years, the thought of narrowing down the exact cause may seem incredibly daunting at first. However, our firm has extensive experience handling complex cases like this, and we have represented clients injured by asbestos exposure all over the country.

It’s possible that you were exposed at one or more locations where previous clients have also been exposed to asbestos. We know how to uncover the documentation, property ownership records, and business records necessary to trace the exact origin of your exposure. Once we determine the location or locations where you were exposed, you can rely on our team to guide you through the subsequent proceedings until you recover fair compensation for your damages.

If you are concerned about the potential cost of hiring a South Carolina asbestos exposure attorney, you do not need to worry about exorbitant legal fees when you choose Wallace & Graham to represent your case. We accept mesothelioma cases and related asbestos exposure claims on a contingency fee basis.

When you have a contingency fee agreement with your attorney, their fee is contingent upon their ability to secure compensation for you. If your attorney wins your case, they take a percentage of your final case award as their fee. If they are unable to secure compensation for you, then you pay nothing at all. There is no financial risk to you in choosing our firm to represent your asbestos exposure claim.

Experienced South Carolina Asbestos Exposure Attorneys

Receiving a mesothelioma diagnosis can be incredibly distressing. In addition to getting the medical care you need, you likely have many pressing legal questions in this difficult situation. The sooner you connect with an asbestos exposure attorney, the better your chances are of success with all recovery efforts you pursue. Our firm can help.

The team at Wallace & Graham is ready to provide the compassionate legal representation you need for your impending case. We have successfully helped many past clients recover compensation for asbestos exposure, and we are ready to leverage this experience in your case. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with an asbestos exposure lawyer you can trust.

South Carolina Mesothelioma Resources