Los Angeles mesothelioma lawyers help victims of asbestos exposure take legal actions and seek compensation. The city has an extensive history of asbestos use in construction and industrial businesses. Many California workers have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases as a result.
If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis, you may be eligible for substantial compensation. Fill out our form to receive our free Financial Compensation Packet. Our packet is loaded with information on leading Los Angeles mesothelioma attorneys, how to file a claim for asbestos trust funds, how to get paid in 90 days, and more.
FREE Financial Compensation Packet
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Los Angeles Asbestos Facts
- Los Angeles County has the highest number of asbestos-related deaths in the state of California.
- Between 1999 and 2017, there were over 27,000 deaths in the state related to asbestos exposure, and nearly 5,000 asbestos deaths occurred in the Los Angeles area.
- Construction, shipping, and industrial workplaces in this large city have largely contributed to asbestos exposure and illnesses.
- Several sites in and around Los Angeles received shipments of vermiculite from Libby, Montana, a mineral heavily contaminated with asbestos.
How Can a Los Angeles Mesothelioma Lawyer Help Me?
If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you need a lawyer to handle pressing legal matters. A top California lawyer serving Los Angeles residents in asbestos cases helps their clients with:
- Asbestos Personal Injury Lawsuits
- Asbestos Wrongful Death Lawsuits
- Asbestos Trust Fund Claims
- Veteran Benefits
- Other Benefits
Mesothelioma is nearly always caused by negligent asbestos exposure. One or more companies are responsible for your exposure and can be held liable for damages.
An asbestos lawyer in Los Angeles should have relevant experience, a proven track record of wins for similar clients, and a nationwide firm backing them. Asbestos attorneys don’t charge a fee until they win for you, so take advantage of a free consultation to discuss your case.
How Much Compensation Can I Get for Mesothelioma?
The answer to this question depends on many factors. A lawyer cannot guarantee a certain amount from a settlement or jury award. They can make a reasonable estimate and maximize your compensation based on several factors:
- Your diagnosis and the severity of the illness
- Medical expenses
- Future expected medical and care expenses
- Lost wages and lost earning potential
- Degree of pain and suffering
Mesothelioma Settlements and Jury Awards in Los Angeles
Most asbestos lawsuits end in settlements that fairly compensate the victim. A few go to trial and end in jury awards that can be substantially larger. These are a few examples from Los Angeles:
- $11 Million. In 2018, a Los Angeles jury awarded Alfred Mata and his wife $11 million. He developed mesothelioma because his father worked around asbestos and brought the fibers home on his clothing. This is known as secondhand exposure. The jury agreed that Liberty Utilities Corp. had a duty to warn workers of the risks of bringing asbestos home.
- $43 Million. Deanne Warren was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2019, also from secondhand exposure. Algoma Hardwoods, Inc. was found responsible for her exposure to asbestos fibers in the home.
- $48 Million. In 2012, a Los Angeles court awarded Bobbie Izell’s family $48 million after he died from mesothelioma. He worked as a contractor and was exposed to asbestos in construction products. Some of the companies found liable included Union Carbide, Riverside Cement, and CalPortland.
Where Was I Exposed to Asbestos in Los Angeles?
Most asbestos exposure occurs in the workplace. If you have mesothelioma, a lawyer can help you track down your exposure history so you can take legal action.
Los Angeles is a large city with an industrial economy and many locations that used asbestos and put workers and even residents at risk. Some of the people at greatest risk worked in power plants, shipyards, construction sites, steel plants, mines, and factories.
These are just some major sources of asbestos exposure in Los Angeles and the surrounding area.
Shipping and Asbestos in Los Angeles
Todd Shipyards was one of the largest companies that used asbestos in Los Angeles. Created in 1916, the company provided ships during wartime, especially during World War II. During this time and later, all shipyards used asbestos.
In 1945, the Los Angeles Shipbuilding and Dry Dock became a part of the business, which included military and private ships. At this time, nearly all components on ships contained asbestos.
Todd Shipyards continued its success until the mid-1980s when competition from other shipbuilding enterprises forced the shipyard to close the Los Angeles site in 1989.
In 2010, the company was bought by Vigor International. Vigor International has strict laws in place concerning the use of asbestos on the worksites. Yet, this law came about decades after thousands of workers at the former Todd Shipyards had been exposed daily.
By 2010, Todd Shipyard faced 490 asbestos claims, ten malignant mesothelioma claims, and 184 less-serious claims from its former employees.
Many of these cases have already been settled, and the company placed $3 million in a trust fund bank for future lawsuits.
Libby Vermiculite in Los Angeles
The W.R. Grace mine in Libby, Montana, produced asbestos-tainted vermiculite for decades, shipping it to industrial locations throughout the country.
Several workplaces in and around Los Angeles received this vermiculite:
- Al-Lube Division of Far Best Corporation, Glendale
- California Zonolite Company/W.R. Grace, Glendale
- Domtar/Kaiser Gypsum America Inc., Long Beach
- Germain’s Seed Company, Los Angeles
- Southwest Grease Company, Compton
Other Places Associated with Asbestos Use in Los Angeles
Schools, plants, mills, hospitals, restaurants, and hospitals are among the many types of businesses that contained asbestos before its ban in the late 1970s:
Schools
- Aviation High School
- Banneker High School
- Bell High School
- Belmont High School
- Belvedere Middle School
- Carson High School
- El Camino Real Estate School
- Fairfax Senior High School
- Fern Avenue School (demolished)
- Gardena High School
- Garfield High School
- Hammel Street Elementary School
- Hoover Street Elementary School
- Jefferson High School
- John Muir Middle School
- Los Angeles High School
- Los Angeles Manual Arts High School
- Los Angeles Technical Trade School
- Los Angeles Unified School District
- Los Feliz Elementary School
- Marvin Avenue Elementary School
- Pacoima Middle School
- Ramona Elementary School
- Roosevelt High School
- Sherman Oaks High School
- State School for Boys
- Topeka Drive School
- Washington High School
Plants
- Aynes Steam Plant
- Balboa Water Treatment Plant
- Central Plants Incorporated
- Dickson Gun Plant
- El Segundo Steam Plant
- Haynes Steam Generating Plant
- Los Angeles County Central Plant
- Los Angeles Water Plant
- Mccullough Plant
- Oxnard Mandalay Plant
- San Onofre Generating Plant
- Texallano Plant
- Trigen Central Plants
- Union Pacific Plant
Hotels
- Alexander Hotel Company
- Alexandria Hotel
- Beverly Hills Hotel
- Biltmore Hotel
- Blackstone Apartment Hotel
- Century Plaza Hotel
- Hunts Hotel
- Mayflower Hotel
- Statler Hilton Hotel
Hospitals
- Angelus Hospital (demolished)
- Cedars of Lebanon Hospital
- Children’s Hospital (Vermont Ave)
- Good Samaritan Hospital
- Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital
- Los Angeles County General Hospital
- Los Angeles Infirmary Sisters’ Hospital
- Martin Luther King Jr General Hospital
- Midway Hospital
- Queen of Angels Hospital
- Saint Francis Hospital
- Shriners Children’s Hospital
- St. John’s Hospital
- St. Vincent’s Hospital
- Temple Hospital
- UCLA Medical Center
- The University of Southern California Hospital
- Veterans Administration Hospital
- White Memorial Hospital
Chemical Companies
- Amer Chemical
- American Potash & Chemical Corporation
- Ashland Chemical Company
- Borden Chemical Company
- Bray Chemical Company
- Collier Carbon & Chemical Corporation
- Dixon Chemical
- Dow Chemical Company
- Filtrol Chemical
- Food Machinery & Chemical Corporation
- Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical
- Kerr Mcgee Chemical Corporation
- Old Colony Paint & Chemical Company
- Pacific R & H Chemical Company
- Rohm & Haas Chemical
- Shell Chemical Company
- Southern California Chemical Company
- Stauffer Chemical
- Witfield Chemical Corp
Electric Companies
- Cannon Electric
- Edison Electric Company
- General Electric Company
- Hoagland Lakin Electric and Engineering Company
- Los Angeles Electric Company
- Pacific Electric Railway Company
- Pasadena Los Angeles Electric Railway Company
- San Gabriel Electric Company
- Santa Maria Electric and Gas Company
- Sawyer Electric
- U.S. Electrical Motors Inc
Additional Businesses
- A. P. Mc Guinness
- Aaron Ferer & Son
- Affiliated Metals
- Air Reduction Pacific Company
- AiResearch Corporation
- Alameda Tank Company
- Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa
- Aluminum Extrusion Company
- Amalgamated Oil Company
- American Airlines -Los Angeles International Airport
- American Appliance Company
- American Brazing Company
- American Bridge Division
- American Container
- American Hair & Felt Company
- American Manganese Steel Division
- American Pacific Steamship Company
- Anchor Hocking Glass Corporation
- Angelus Floor Covering
- Angelus Steel Treating
- Apex Steel Corporation
- ARCO Twin Towers
- BF Goodrich Company
- Balboa Water Treatment Plant
- Beeson Engineering Company
- Bradbury Building
- California Fireproof Door Company
- California Sanitary Canning Company
- Chevrolet Division of General Motors Company
- Devoe & Reynolds Company, Inc.
- Dominguez Water Corporation
- E. P. Clark Building.
- E.B. Wiggins Oil Tool
- Firestone Tire & Rubber Company
- Food Machinery & Chemical Corporation
- Golden State Creamery
- Kaiser Medical Center
- United Technology Corporation
- Valley Place Methodist Church
- Wesco Steel Rolling Mills Corp
Talcum Powder Asbestos Lawsuits
An emerging source of asbestos exposure is contaminated talc. Many people who used talcum powder for decades have developed mesothelioma or ovarian cancer.
Los Angeles has been the site of important lawsuits against makers of talcum powder products contaminated with asbestos. In December 2021, the family of Doreen Myers won their lawsuit against talc suppliers and Avon Products.
Myers used the products for years and died from mesothelioma. Her legal team helped her family secure a $780,000 jury verdict for the companies’ failures to warn consumers of the risks of asbestos in talc.
Mesothelioma Treatment in Los Angeles
Victims of asbestos exposure in Los Angeles have access to one of the world’s premier treatment centers for mesothelioma.
The Pacific Mesothelioma Center, part of the Pacific Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, launched in 2012. It focuses on the research and treatment of pleural mesothelioma.
Also in Los Angeles is the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. It is recognized as a center of excellence and a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute.
The Cancer Center specializes in lung and other thoracic cancers, including mesothelioma, and partners with the Pacific Mesothelioma Center.
Los Angeles Legal Assistance
As previously mentioned, you may be entitled to financial compensation if you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis. Get our free Financial Compensation Packet for info on the top mesothelioma and asbestos lawyers in your area. If you need additional assistance, contact us toll-free at 800-793-4540.
Jeffrey B. Simon
Reviewer and EditorJeffrey B. Simon is a founding partner of Simon Greenstone Panatier, PC and has been recognized multiple times for excellence in trial law. He is licensed to practice in California, Texas, and New York. He specializes in mesothelioma and asbestos, toxic torts, and pharmaceutical injury. Simon has been given lifetime achievement awards from America’s Top 100 Attorneys and also the Worldwide Registry of Executives and Professionals.
Connect with California Mesothelioma Lawyer Jeffrey B. Simon
References
- Funding Universe. (n.d.). Todd Shipyards Corporation History.
Retrieved from: http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/todd-shipyards-corporation-history/ - U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. (1985, March 14). Osmundsen v. Todd Pacific Shipyard.
Retrieved from: http://openjurist.org/755/f2d/730 - U.S. Government Accountability Office. (n.d.). California Vermiculite Sites Assessed by EPA for Potential Asbestos Contamination and Status of Actions Taken.
Retrieved from: https://files.gao.gov/special.pubs/gao-09-7sp/CA.html - Environmental Working Group. (n.d.). Asbestos-Related Deaths in California.
Retrieved from: http://www.asbestosnation.org/facts/asbestos-deaths/ca/ - Pacific Mesothelioma Center. (n.d.). About PMC.
Retrieved from: https://www.phlbi.org/pacific-mesothelioma-center/ - Cision PR Newswire. (2021, December 16). Los Angeles Jury Returns $780,000 Verdict for Talc User Who Died from Mesothelioma.
Retrieved from: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/los-angeles-jury-returns-780-000-verdict-for-talc-user-who-died-from-mesothelioma-301446643.html - Mundy, J. (2018, June 25). Asbestos Mesothelioma Passed from Father to Son, Guilty Verdict for Defendant Liberty Utilities (Park Water) Corp. Lawyers and Settlements.
Retrieved from: https://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/legal-news/asbestos_mesothelioma/asbestos-mesothelioma-passed-from-father-son-guilty-verdict-defe-22939.html - Bronstad, A. (2022, May 23). Los Angeles County Jury Awards $43M in Asbestos Trial. The Recorder.
Retrieved from: https://www.law.com/therecorder/2022/05/23/los-angeles-county-jury-awards-43m-in-asbestos-trial/?slreturn=20230514142939 - Randles, J. (2012, June 21). Calif. Jury Awards $48M In Union Carbide Asbestos Case. Law360.
Retrieved from: https://www.law360.com/articles/352759/calif-jury-awards-48m-in-union-carbide-asbestos-case