For many years asbestos was considered an incredibly valuable, useful and versatile substance. It was regularly used in buildings because it is strong, has a high resistance to heat and was inexpensive with plenty of supply available. At the time there was no...
The Only Firm in Minnesota Litigating on Behalf of Mesothelioma Victims.
Occupational Asbestos Exposure
Clinical studies build hope for immunotherapy treatments for mesothelioma
Recent clinical studies continue to suggest that immunotherapy can improve – and possibly extend – the lives of people with mesothelioma. Two trials in 2019 and 2021 showed statistically significant improvements for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) patients. This...
Finally, the EPA proposes to ban asbestos nationwide
It surprises many Minnesotans to learn that asbestos is still legal for some purposes in the U.S., even though it sickens thousands of people every year. Most people assume that asbestos products are largely left over from decades ago, before companies understood how...
W.R. Grace survivors sue insurance giant for delaying asbestos claims
We’ve talked about W.R. Grace & Company/Western Mineral before. It was a company that mined and sold asbestos-containing vermiculite for use in gardening and for insulation. According to reports, about 92% of all long-term workers at the company have developed...
Auto mechanic and wife awarded $20 million in mesothelioma case
An asbestos verdict from another state caught our attention recently because the plaintiff was able to prove that Ford Motor Co. was responsible for his mesothelioma. A man from St. Louis County was diagnosed in 2020 with mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the...
Bellwether award in Montana asbestos case: worker wins $36.5 million
Workers at W.R. Grace & Company in Libby, Montana, also known as Western Mineral, mined and processed vermiculite. Vermiculite is a naturally occurring mineral that was often used in insulation and in potting soil. They worked in a cloud of dust, but they didn’t...
What must employers do to reduce the hazards of asbestos at work?
We know that exposure to asbestos can cause deadly cancers such as mesothelioma and lung cancer. We know that occupational exposure is among the most common types of exposure. We know that workers weren’t always protected in the past –are they being protected now? If...
Honeywell suing NARCO’s asbestos trust, claiming mismanagement
Here in Minnesota, many thousands of employees of Honeywell International and some of its subsidiaries were exposed to asbestos while on the job. These workers sometimes developed mesothelioma. Those subsidiaries included AlliedSignal, Inc., Bendix Friction Materials...
Minnesota shipyard workers may be at risk for asbestos exposure
People who have worked in the shipbuilding industry, including Navy vets, are thought to be at greater risk for asbestos diseases, including mesothelioma. Here in Minnesota, the Navy began building ships in Savage in 1942. Shipbuilding is a tradition in northern...
Why is mesothelioma so common in the Minnesota Arrowhead region?
The short answer is that the Arrowhead is the location of a great deal of taconite mining, and processing taconite can sometimes expose workers to asbestos dust. In 1997, the Minnesota Department of Health did an analysis of cancer rates and trends. Two Arrowhead...
