Oregon Mesothelioma Lawyer

Oregon Mesothelioma Lawyer
Oregon Mesothelioma Lawyer

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Overview of Asbestos in Oregon

Oregon has a long shipbuilding and ship repair history, which is one of the reasons that the relatively small state ranks fifteenth among all states for asbestos related deaths. Oregon shipyards delivered over 450 ships to the U.S. Navy and the British government during World War II. The Cascade Shipyard at Swans Point and the Tidewater property at the mouth of the Columbia are two examples of shipyards that are still operating in the area. Ship construction and repair were two of the highest risk industries for asbestos exposure during the 20th century. Oregon also had pulp & paper and lumber mills that were known for asbestos exposure, along with power plants and some steel manufactories.

There were also two plants in Portland that processed asbestos-contaminated vermiculite ore shipped from the notorious W.R. Grace mine in Libby, Montana. Vermiculite-Northwest and the Supreme Perlite Company both put employees and customers at risk for asbestos exposure, using this ore until the mine shut down in 1993.
Mesothelioma & Asbestos Deaths in Oregon

According to a nationwide survey of death certificates issued between 1979 and 2000, Oregon reported 430 deaths from asbestosis over that period. There were between 431 and 721 deaths from malignant mesothelioma and other forms of asbestos cancer during that period as well. In 1999 the federal government began tracking mesothelioma deaths carefully, and in 2005 issued an initial report that showed 303 mesothelioma deaths in the state over the preceding six years.
Legal Rights of Mesothelioma Victims in Oregon

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality manages state and federal regulations regarding asbestos control, abatement and licensing for asbestos disposal professionals. There are numerous laws governing a citizen’s legal rights regarding asbestos exposure, which is why it is best to find an experienced Oregon mesothelioma lawyer if you have been stricken with an asbestos related disease. Oregon residents with an asbestos disease have two years after the date of diagnosis to file a personal injury or product liability action. Family members who have lost someone to mesothelioma or another asbestos disease have three years after the date of death to file a wrongful death suit.

Oregon follows a modified joint and several liability concept in apportioning financial responsibility for an injury or harm. Plaintiffs can collect damages even if they are partially at fault. Damages are spread among multiple defendants according to percentage of fault; if after a year one defendant cannot pay that portion of the fault is reallocated among the remaining defendants.
Asbestos Lawsuits in Oregon

In February of 2010 an asbestos lawsuit filed by an Oregon mesothelioma victim was settled for $5.6 million. The plaintiff, Mrs. Linda O’Donnell, was exposed to asbestos in the course of operating two ceramics studios she owned for twenty years. Asbestos contaminated talc was used in mixing the pottery clay; the talc was poured into mixers from fifty pound bags, putting asbestos laden dust into the air.


Oregon Mesothelioma Lawyer