An Albuquerque mesothelioma lawyer can help if you have been injured by asbestos. Several industries and job sites in the city exposed workers to asbestos. Workers and residents alike have faced risks from asbestos in buildings constructed during the mid-1900s, a time of peak asbestos use.
If you or a loved one suffer from mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis, you may qualify for substantial compensation. Fill out our form to get a free Financial Compensation Packet. You’ll learn about the experienced mesothelioma lawyers in Albuquerque, how to get paid in 90 days, how to file a claim for the asbestos trust funds, and more.
FREE Financial Compensation Packet
- Info on law firms that will recover your HIGHEST COMPENSATION
- Learn how to get paid in 90 days
- File for your share of $30 billion in trust funds
Albuquerque Asbestos Facts
- Approximately one-third of asbestos-related deaths in New Mexico have occurred in and around Albuquerque.
- This includes almost 500 deaths in Bernalillo County between 1999 and 2017.
- Construction booms in Albuquerque coincided with the peak use of asbestos in building materials.
- Many older buildings in the city still contain asbestos.
Albuquerque, New Mexico, Asbestos Lawsuits
If you have mesothelioma, you have a right to seek compensation for negligent asbestos exposure. Many workplaces and asbestos companies put Albuquerque workers at risk of exposure and serious illness.
An experienced mesothelioma lawyer can determine which types of claims or lawsuits you are eligible to file, including:
- Mesothelioma personal injury lawsuit
- Mesothelioma wrongful death lawsuit
- Asbestos trust fund claim
- Veteran benefits claim
Why File a Mesothelioma Claim in Albuquerque, New Mexico
A mesothelioma claim or lawsuit is important because it provides much-needed compensation that covers:
- Past and ongoing medical expenses
- Future expected medical costs
- Travel costs for treatment
- Home care
- Medical equipment
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
Most cases of mesothelioma resulted from negligent asbestos exposure. The companies responsible can and should be held accountable.
Finding a Mesothelioma Lawyer in Albuquerque
Top-rated New Mexico attorneys working with Albuquerque asbestos victims can help you get the compensation you deserve. Choose a lawyer with proven experience and wins for asbestos clients.
Look for an asbestos attorney who is part of a larger firm. They need the resources of a large law firm to investigate your case, find evidence and build a case, and take your case all the way to court if necessary.
The right lawyer should provide you with a free initial consultation. They should also offer contingency payment so you pay nothing until they help you win compensation.
How Was I Exposed to Asbestos in Albuquerque?
Determining when and where you were exposed to asbestos is one of the most important things an Albuquerque lawyer will do for you. Asbestos cases are complicated and require solid evidence of exposure and illness. Many workplaces in Albuquerque exposed workers to asbestos.
Asbestos Industries in Albuquerque
The Spanish founded Albuquerque as a remote outpost in the early 1700s. It remained remote until the railroads arrived in the mid-1860s.
By the turn of the 20th Century, the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad turned the city into a popular tourist destination that combined such modern amenities.
Albuquerque industrialized and grew to include important facilities, including high-tech manufacturing plants, airports, and aviation manufacturing facilities. All of these industries used asbestos at some point.
Albuquerque also became a tourist destination, with Route 66 passing through the city. The increasing number of motorists that passed through the area created a demand for motels, gas stations, and restaurants; these businesses were often constructed with asbestos.
Government Facilities
The government has also been an essential employer in Albuquerque. Kirtland Air Force Base employed and continues to employ many military members and civilians.
Most of the buildings contain or once contained asbestos. Abatement projects are ongoing there.
Sandia National Laboratories is a National Nuclear Security Administration research lab known to contain asbestos materials.
Vermiculite Processing
Several vermiculite processing plants in Albuquerque put past workers at risk of asbestos exposure. These facilities used vermiculite from the W.R. Grace mine in Libby, Montana that was contaminated with asbestos:
- Allied American Gypsum Company
- American Gypsum Company/Centex
- Solico Inc./Southwest Vermiculite Company
- Southwest Vermiculite Company
Workers in the facilities and nearby residents could have inhaled loose fibers of asbestos from the vermiculite.
Asbestos in Older Buildings
Albuquerque experienced its population and construction boom in the middle of the heaviest use of asbestos in building materials. Asbestos lingers in many older homes, workplaces, and public buildings.
Assessments for asbestos have become common and routine in Albuquerque. Buildings built in the city before 1971 almost certainly contain asbestos, but the material has been found in those from as recently as 1985.
One-quarter of Albuquerque’s current office buildings were built during the asbestos period, meaning workers are still at risk of exposure.
Issues at the Gateway Center illustrate how asbestos continues to be an issue throughout the city. The city of Albuquerque bought the old Lovelace Hospital to turn it into the Gateway Center, a homeless shelter and services center.
The renovations have experienced numerous setbacks, most recently in 2023, because of asbestos. The need to abate asbestos has delayed the opening of the Gateway Center. City officials were found to have violated regulations regarding asbestos testing and reporting. People were likely exposed as a result.
Other Albuquerque Job Sites with Asbestos
Several of these workplaces and buildings are still in use today. However, strict state and federal regulations require routine inspections and maintenance of any public building that contains asbestos.
Hospitals
- St. Joseph Community Health
- New Mexico VA Healthcare System
Power, Gas, Coal, and Electric Companies
- Albuquerque and Cerrillos Coal Company
- Albuquerque Gas & Electric
- Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM)
- Reeves Power Plant (also known as Reeves Generating Station)
Additional Job Site and Buildings
- Albuquerque Air Route Traffic Control Center
- Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company
- Albuquerque Water Utility Authority
- Corps of Engineers Albuquerque District
- Excelsior Laundry Company
- Geo. S. Thomson Company
- Imperial Laundry Company
- Kent Nowlin Construction Company
- Kirtland Air Force Base
- New Mexico Pump & Equipment
- University of New Mexico
- J. Corber & Company
- Nalley’s Inc.
- Columbia Asbestos Company
Cancer Treatment in Albuquerque
The University of New Mexico (UNM) Cancer Center offers medical services and treatments to cancer patients in Albuquerque and other parts of the state.
Founded in 1973, UNM Cancer Center is one of the nation’s 86 medical facilities with the National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designation.
The UNM Cancer Center’s team of oncologists, surgeons, and medical researchers treat over 10,000 patients a year, including those with pleural mesothelioma.
UNM Cancer Center
1201 Camino de Salud NE
Albuquerque, NM 87106
505-272-2839
Getting Legal Help in Albuquerque and Additional Information
If you’ve been injured by asbestos, there is a good chance that you’ll qualify for considerable compensation. Get our free Financial Compensation Packet for information on the top mesothelioma and asbestos lawyers in your area. If you have questions or need assistance, contact us toll-free at 800-793-4540.
John Black
Reviewer and EditorJohn Black is a founding partner at Black Law Firm in Santa Fe, New Mexico. His firm focuses on litigating on behalf of mesothelioma and asbestos victims. He helps clients with mesothelioma and other asbestos illnesses get justice and recover damages. John has been given the Super Lawyer award six years in a row.
References
- Visit Albuquerque. (n.d.). History.
Retrieved from: http://www.visitalbuquerque.org/albuquerque/history/ - Environmental Working Group. (n.d.). Asbestos-Related Deaths in New Mexico.
Retrieved from: http://www.asbestosnation.org/facts/asbestos-deaths/nm/ - GovTribe. (2015, December 9). Building 497 Asbestos Abatement, Kirtland Air Force Base, Bernalillo County, New Mexico.
Retrieved from: https://govtribe.com/opportunity/federal-contract-opportunity/building-497-asbestos-abatement-kirtland-air-force-base-bernalillo-county-new-mexico-w912pp16t0018 - U.S. Department of Energy. (2016, September). 2015 Annual Site Environmental Report for Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico.
Retrieved from: https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2018/02/f49/SNL%202016_ASER%20for%202015_0.pdf - Lenninger, S. (2023, May 4). Report: Mishaps during renovations at Gateway Center. KOAT.
Retrieved from: https://www.koat.com/article/gateway-center-asbestos-office-inspector-general-albuquerque/43785369