Many Alaskans have encountered asbestos at military sites, industrial workplaces, and natural deposits. If you were exposed to and developed mesothelioma or any other asbestos-related illness, an experienced Alaska mesothelioma lawyer can help you get justice.

If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis, you may qualify to receive significant compensation. Fill out our form to get a free Financial Compensation Packet. You’ll learn about top Alaska mesothelioma lawyers, how to get paid in 90 days, how to file a claim for the asbestos trust funds, and more.

We offer families assistance in every city in Alaska, including:

Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan, Wasilla, Kena, Kodiak, Bethel, Palmer, Homer, Unalaska, Barrow, Soldotna, Valdez, Nome, Kotzebue, Petersburg, Seward, Wrangell, Dillingham, Cordova, North Pole, Houston, Haines, Craig Hooper, Bay Akutan, Sand, Point Delta, Junction, King Cove, Chevak Skagway, Selawik Togiak, Mountain Villag,e Emmonak, Hoonah, Klawock, Kwethluk, Unalakleet, Gambell, Alakanuk, Point Hope, Savoonga, Quinhagak, Noorvik, Yakutat, Toksook, Bay Fort, Yukon Kotlik, Pilot Station, Shishmaref, Kake Stebbins, Wainwright, New Stuyahok, St. Mary’s, Aniak, Nunapitchuk, Saint Paul, Scammon Bay, Kachemak, Thorne Bay, Galena, Angoon, Gustavus, Manokotak, Chefornak, Buckland, Marshall, Saxman, Napaskiak, Nuiqsut, St. Michael, Brevig, Mission, Nenana, Hydaburg, Kivalina, Kiana, Napakiak, McGrath, Akiak, Koyuk, Elim, Adak, Anaktuvuk, Pass Russian, Mission, Eek, Lower Kalskag, Nightmute, Huslia, Nulato, Shungnak, Ambler, Seldovia, Shaktoolik, Anderson, Tanana, Goodnews Bay, Kaktovik, Atqasuk, Teller, and more.

When Do I Need an Alaska Mesothelioma Lawyer?

If you were exposed to asbestos, have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness, or if someone in your family died because of asbestos disease, you might want to take legal action to hold those accountable responsible.

There are several important reasons to choose the right lawyer to handle your case:

• An Alaska mesothelioma lawyer understands the complicated laws related to these cases.
• Only a lawyer with expertise in these cases can give you the best chance of winning.
• A lawyer will outline your options and explain to them so you can make the best choice.
• There is a time limit for filing asbestos lawsuits, so you must get organized and act fast.
• The right lawyer can negotiate a fair settlement on your behalf.

How Can an Alaska Mesothelioma Lawyer Help Me?

If you have an asbestos illness, you have a few options for seeking compensation. Compensation is important because it covers costly medical treatments, lost wages, and other expenses associated with mesothelioma.

An Alaska mesothelioma lawyer can help you take one or more legal actions:

Personal Injury Lawsuit

Asbestos illnesses are personal injuries caused by negligent exposure. An Alaska asbestos attorney can help determine which companies exposed you and when. They can help you file a personal injury lawsuit to hold those companies liable and recover damages.

• Step 1: Initial Consultation
  Contact an attorney to discuss your case. This involves a free case review where the lawyer assesses your work history and asbestos exposure.
• Step 2: Evidence Gathering
  With your approval, the attorney will gather evidence, including medical records and employment history, to build a strong case.
• Step 3: Filing the Lawsuit
  Once the evidence is compiled, your attorney will file the legal claim against the responsible parties.
• Step 4: Settlement Negotiations
  Most cases are settled out of court. Your lawyer will negotiate a fair settlement on your behalf.
• Step 5: Trial (if necessary)
  If a settlement cannot be reached, the case may go to trial, where a jury will determine liability and damages.

A lawsuit will likely end in a settlement, which can get you compensation within a few months. These lawsuits rarely go to trial, where a jury determines liability and damages.

Asbestos Trust Fund Claim

If the companies responsible for your exposure went bankrupt, you cannot sue them. You may be able to get compensation from an asbestos trust fund.

Bankrupt companies set up trusts to compensate victims as part of the bankruptcy process. Asbestos trust funds currently hold $30 billion. A lawyer can help you get your share.

Wrongful Death Lawsuit

If your loved one dies from mesothelioma or during their personal injury lawsuit, you can file a wrongful death suit. This allows you to hold companies liable and recover damages for medical, funeral, and other expenses.

Veterans Benefits Claim

Many military veterans suffered asbestos exposure and now have mesothelioma. U.S. Navy veterans are most affected by asbestos illnesses.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) rates mesothelioma as 100% disabling. You could be entitled to monthly compensation and other benefits.

What is the Typical Timeline for Receiving Compensation from a Mesothelioma Claim?

The timeline for receiving compensation from a mesothelioma claim can vary, but many individuals begin to see initial payments within approximately three months of filing.

Initial Phase

• Filing and Documentation: The process kicks off with filing the initial claim, which includes gathering necessary documentation. This step can take a few weeks to ensure all paperwork is complete and accurate.

Preliminary Payments

• Initial Compensation: Once the claim is submitted, some clients start receiving their first payments in about 90 days. These early payments provide financial relief as the case progresses.

Ongoing Compensation

• Additional Settlements: Over the following months, additional checks may be distributed. These payments often continue over a year or more, depending on the specifics of the case and negotiation outcomes.

Full Resolution

• Final Settlement: The complete resolution of a claim, including the total compensation amount, may take longer. The timeline can extend beyond a year, largely based on the complexity of the case and the parties involved.

Each case is unique, so timelines can differ based on legal complexities, the responsiveness of involved parties, and specific case details.

How Does a Mesothelioma Law Firm Gather Evidence for a Case?

Building a strong mesothelioma case requires meticulous evidence gathering and in-depth research. Here’s how dedicated law firms work to assemble this crucial information:

1. Tracing the Exposure Timeline
   Given that asbestos-related diseases can take 20-50 years to manifest, identifying when and where exposure occurred is a significant challenge. Lawyers often begin by interviewing clients extensively about their employment history, residential environments, and any other instances where asbestos exposure might have happened.
2. Collecting Historical Evidence
   Law firms maintain extensive databases that document:
   • Known Exposure Sites: Locations such as shipyards, industrial facilities, and construction sites are commonly associated with asbestos use.
   • Product Information: Lists of asbestos-containing products that were prevalent during the relevant time periods.
   • Company Records: Information on manufacturers responsible for producing or distributing these hazardous materials.
3. Investigating Product Manufacturers
   Once potential products and exposure sites are identified, lawyers delve into historical company records, which may include product specifications, safety data sheets, and sale records. This helps pinpoint the manufacturers whose products led to exposure.
4. Leveraging Industry Experts
   Law firms frequently collaborate with occupational and environmental health experts who can provide insight into the pervasive use of asbestos across different industries. These specialists can help establish a link between a client’s illness and specific asbestos products or work environments.
5. Compiling Witness Testimonies
   Testimonies from coworkers, industry experts, or third parties who can confirm the presence of asbestos and the conditions under which it was handled are crucial.

This multi-faceted approach combines meticulous research with expert insights to build a compelling case that can effectively pursue justice and compensation.

Asbestos in Alaska Military Sites

Many sites in Alaska once used by the Department of Defense and its separate armed branches contain manufactured asbestos materials:

• The Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line of radar stations stretched across Alaska and Canada’s Arctic regions and was used to provide early warning of Soviet bomber flights or missile launches. Personnel assigned to DEW stations lived in military-style housing and used jeeps, planes, and other forms of government transportation. Asbestos was present in all of these.
• The former DEW site known as Collinson Point was also contaminated by various hazardous materials. Also known as Brownlow Point, Collinson Point ceased operations in 1963 but was polluted by fuel spills, asbestos, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Although the site has been cleaned up by state and federal environmental agencies, asbestos lingers in the water and topsoil.
• Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson’s Elmendorf Field is the Air Force component of a major military facility near Anchorage. The base utilized asbestos-containing materials in large quantities. Though asbestos-containing materials were found in aircraft, vehicles, electronic equipment, and building materials, the highest concentrations were in the base’s powerhouse.

Where Else Could I Have Been Exposed to Asbestos in Alaska?

Although military facilities were large-scale users of asbestos-containing materials, other industries also relied on them.

Industries such as construction, shipbuilding, oil production, manufacturing, steel and ironworks, and electricity generation used asbestos to protect their facilities from fires and heat-related damage and strengthen materials.

Asbestos in the Workplace

For decades Alaskan workers were exposed to asbestos fibers in the workplace. According to Alaska’s DEC Division of Air Quality, asbestos fibers are still found in commercial products now in use.

These products include cement shingles, vinyl/asbestos floor tiles, brake pads, corrugated sheets, pipe and furnace wraps, and textured paints.

Some of the workplaces, both military and civilian, known to have contained asbestos include:

• Adak Naval Air Station
• Alaska Pulp Corporation
• Ladd Air Force Base
• Port Heiden Clams
• Arctic Surplus
• Collinson Point Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line site
• Eielson Air Force Base
• Ft. Richardson U.S. Army Base
• Ft. Wainwright U.S. Army Base
• Galena Airport/Galena Air Force Station
• Galena Radar Base
• Georgia Pacific Paper Mill
• Ambler Gravel Pit
• Salt Chuck Mine
• Cape Romanzof Long Range Radar (LRR) Site
• Bullen Point Radar Installation
• Elmendorf Air Force Base
• Fish Creek Quarry
• Lemon Creek Quarry
• Treadwell Quarry
• Ambler Gravel Pit
• Slate Creek Asbestos
• Golden Valley Electric Association
• Bonnie Brae Quarry
• Alaskan Pipeline at Valdez
• Sitka Paper Mill

Asbestos in Alaska Buildings

Public buildings may contain asbestos deposits, including schools, courts, libraries, hospitals, and other government facilities built before 1980.  

Any building scheduled for renovation work or demolition first undergoes a thorough abatement-and-disposal process.

The process is to prevent asbestos fibers from spreading into the environment. Only EPA-certified abatement contractors with safe work practices and experience handling asbestos can conduct inspections and removal.

Residential buildings built before the 1980s can also contain asbestos. Care needs to be taken to ensure asbestos insulation and other materials are safely contained and that renovations are conducted under strict safety measures.

Two Anchorage companies recently received probation and fines for violating the Clean Air Act and putting people at risk of asbestos exposure. Hired to renovate an old asbestos-containing boiler room at the Northern Lights Center, the responsible employee violated regulations and asbestos disposal standards.

Alaska’s Naturally-Occurring Asbestos Deposits

According to Alaska’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), there are major deposits of naturally occurring asbestos (NOAs) in various regions of the state:

• Four large concentrations of NOAs are found in the panhandle region.
• Two are located close to Juneau, the state capital, and Ketchikan.
• Two more natural asbestos deposits are found near the Kobuk Valley and the Wrangell-St. Elias National Parks on the Yukon River.

These deposits are harmless if left undisturbed. Any disruption from mining or development can contaminate the surrounding air, soil, and water with asbestos fibers.

High-Risk Occupations for Asbestos Exposure in Alaska

In Alaska, certain jobs pose a higher risk of asbestos exposure due to the nature of their work environment. Individuals in these professions often work with materials or in settings where asbestos is prevalent.

Occupations with Elevated Risk:

• Mechanics: Those working on airplanes or automobiles may encounter asbestos in brake and clutch parts.
• Construction Personnel: Includes trades such as carpenters, drywall installers, and painters who may work in older buildings containing asbestos materials.
• Maintenance and Custodial Staff: These workers might handle asbestos when maintaining or cleaning facilities that contain asbestos insulation or materials.
• Industrial Workers: Factory workers, especially in older plants, can be exposed when machinery and facilities contain asbestos.
• Firefighters: They are often at risk due to potential asbestos exposure during fire suppression in older structures.
• Insulators and Boilermakers: Commonly work with insulation materials that historically contained asbestos.
• Plumbers and Electricians: These trades often involve work on systems insulated with asbestos.
• Shipyard Workers: Shipbuilding and repair industries historically used asbestos extensively for its heat resistance.
• Miners: Particularly in regions where asbestos or other minerals are excavated.
• Military Personnel: Especially veterans who served aboard ships or worked in older military facilities.

Even those not directly in these professions can be at risk from secondary exposure, such as family members of workers who inadvertently bring asbestos fibers home on their clothing. Awareness and protective measures are crucial for reducing these risks.

Understanding Secondhand Exposure to Asbestos

Secondhand exposure to asbestos occurs when individuals who have never directly worked with this hazardous material still come into contact with asbestos fibers. This type of exposure often transpires when someone, such as a family member, is inadvertently exposed to asbestos fibers carried home by another person who works in environments laden with asbestos or asbestos-containing products.

How Does Secondhand Exposure Happen?

1. Carried on Clothing and Hair:
   • Individuals working in professions where asbestos is prevalent, such as construction, shipbuilding, or insulation, may inadvertently collect asbestos fibers on their work clothes or in their hair.
2. Contaminated Vehicles or Belongings:
   • Asbestos fibers can also settle on a worker’s personal items or in their vehicle, further spreading these hazardous particles outside the work environment.
3. Household Contamination:
   • Once the worker returns home, the fibers are easily transferred to household surfaces, furniture, and laundry. This creates an environment where family members or roommates can inhale or come into contact with the fibers unknowingly.

This indirect exposure can pose a significant risk over time, with diseases like mesothelioma manifesting in individuals who have never been directly involved with handling asbestos themselves. Recognizing and mitigating potential sources of secondhand exposure is crucial to safeguarding the health of everyone in the household.

Alaska Laws That Affect Asbestos Lawsuits

Each state handles personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits according to their own laws. These laws could impact how you file and the damages you can recover.

Alaska Asbestos Statute of Limitations

One of the most important state laws to consider is the statute of limitations. This puts a deadline on filing a lawsuit.

• Under Alaska Statutes, Title 18, Chapter 31, and Alaska Statute 23.30.105 (a), plaintiffs filing an asbestos lawsuit for compensation must do so within two years of diagnosis or two years from when the disease should have been reasonably discovered.
• Latent injuries in Alaska are the exception. If the victim has a latent injury, meaning the condition was present, but the symptom had yet to surface, then the statutes of limitations begin when the injury is discovered.
• For wrongful death lawsuits, plaintiffs must file within two years from the date of the victim’s death.

Cases Involving Natural Asbestos Deposits

Alaska has natural deposits of asbestos. When disturbed, these deposits can cause exposure and harm to workers and residents. Roadbuilding and construction commonly stir up asbestos dust in these areas.

In 2012, the governor passed a law that allowed construction companies to extract and use materials that might contain asbestos. Gravel is a primary concern. The company could be protected from litigation if a worker or resident gets sick from asbestos in gravel used for road building.

This law could make it more difficult for future asbestos victims to take legal action and recover damages.

Alaska Asbestos Safety Laws

The State of Alaska Occupational Safety and Health enforces laws for buildings with asbestos:

• Only those professionally trained to handle asbestos can legally abate, disrupt and/or remove it, regardless of its location.
• All workers must wear respirators while around asbestos, and warning signs must be placed in clear view around the work areas.
• Asbestos must be collected and transported to appropriate landfills.
• While being transported for disposal, all packages must be securely sealed with warning labels.
• Homeowners should always have their homes properly tested for asbestos before renovation and demolition if the home was built before the 1980s.

For more information and for more detailed instructions on handling asbestos in Alaska, contact the Alaska Occupational Health and Safety offices at the following phone numbers:

• Juneau: 907-465-6004
• Fairbanks: 907-451-2890
• Anchorage: 907-269-4946

How to Find a Top Alaska Mesothelioma Firm

Talk to a lawyer as soon as you get a diagnosis of mesothelioma. One or more companies are responsible and should be held accountable. You can’t rely on any lawyer. You need a mesothelioma and asbestos expert.

Look for a firm that can handle your case in Alaska but operates nationwide. Asbestos cases often span states. You might have been exposed in Alaska but need to file in another state. This can get complicated, and a large, experienced firm will get you the best results.

When considering costs, choose a firm that offers no upfront or out-of-pocket expenses. The best firms work on a contingency-fee basis, ensuring you only pay if you receive compensation. This means you can focus on your case without the stress of financial burdens.

Furthermore, the right lawyer or firm should offer you a free consultation to discuss your options. They should not charge you anything until you recover damages. With this approach, you get expert legal help without risking your finances upfront, allowing you to pursue justice with peace of mind.

This firm was extremely professional and responsive. If you have any meso questions, I’d highly recommend them

Michael L.

Getting Legal Help in Alaska

Keep in mind that if you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis, you’ll need an experienced mesothelioma attorney to help you have your best chances of winning your case. Don’t forget to fill out our form to get our free Financial Compensation Packet, filled with information on the experienced asbestos and mesothelioma attorneys in your area. If you have questions or need additional assistance, contact us at 800-793-4540.