Lawsuit Information Center
Our Texas mesothelioma attorneys represent victims who have been diagnosed with this deadly cancer in lawsuits against asbestos companies. We empower our clients with the expertise and resources needed to pursue maximum compensation for their suffering. This page looks at mesothelioma litigation in Texas, including insights into average settlement figures.
About Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma stands out as a distinct and deadly form of cancer, originating in the mesothelium, the protective lining surrounding vital organs such as the lungs. Asbestos exposure is its sole causative factor of mesothelioma. Mesothelioma manifests in various types, with pleural mesothelioma, affecting the lining around the lungs, being the most prevalent, accounting for over 80% of cases.
Mesothelioma is a cancer that is exceptionally rare, with just over 3,000 diagnoses annually, comprising less than 1% of all cancer cases. Mesothelioma also has some very grim survival rates, with a five-year survival rate below 12% and a seven-year survival rate below 1%. That means that only 12 out of 100 people with mesothelioma are still alive 5 years after diagnosis and only 1 out of 100 are still alive after 10 years.
Asbestos, recognized as one of the most hazardous carcinogens globally, exclusively triggers mesothelioma. Upon inhalation, its fibers embed themselves in organ-surrounding tissues, persisting indefinitely and eventually culminating in mesothelioma through the formation of scar tissue. Notably, the onset of this disease is characterized by a prolonged latency period spanning 15 to 40 years post-initial asbestos exposure.
Asbestos Use in the U.S.
From the early 1900s to about the mid-1970s, asbestos was a very commonly used material in the United States. It was widely used as a construction material, and a component in various products. It was also frequently used for a variety of industrial applications. An estimated 1 million workers in the U.S. were exposed to asbestos during the 20th century.
Over 3,000 commercial and consumer products once contained or were made from asbestos. This included things like automotive brakes and parts, talcum powder, insulation, roofing shingles, tiles, and on boilers. There were specific fields or industries where use of asbestos products was especially common. Industries with high levels of asbestos use and exposure included shipbuilding, steam fitting, manufacturing, railroads, steel working, and more.
Asbestos Exposure in Texas
Texas has the 5th highest rate of asbestos-related fatalities (mostly from mesothelioma but also lung cancer) in the U.S. Every year, an average of 4,000 people in Texas die from mesothelioma, asbestosis or asbestos-related lung cancer. Asbestos exposure in Texas comes from two primary sources: (1) industrial exposure primarily related to the oil and shipbuilding industries; and (2) construction material exposure.
Asbestos was a widely used material in heavy industrial settings for most of the 20th century, and Texas has always been an industrial state. Two of the main industries that dominated the Texas economy over the last century, oil and shipbuilding, are also industries where the use of asbestos was particularly common.
Texas was also a boom state that experienced explosive population growth during the 20th century. Millions of homes, offices and public buildings were constructed in Texas during the heyday of asbestos. Recent estimates suggest that around 50% of the public buildings in the state of Texas contain asbestos materials.
Asbestos Exposure in the Texas Oil Industry
The oil sector has been a pivotal force in Texas’s economy, with major cities like Dallas and Houston hosting numerous oil refineries. However, many of these facilities pose risks of asbestos exposure due to their construction materials. Asbestos has been favored by oil companies for its ability to withstand heat and chemicals. Notably, refineries such as Phillips 66, with multiple sites across Texas, stand out as significant contributors to asbestos exposure in the state. Texans who have worked in the oil industry and suspect exposure to asbestos should reach out to a mesothelioma attorney in Texas to explore their legal options, particularly if they have received a diagnosis of an asbestos-related disease.
Asbestos Exposure at Texas Military Locations
Texas has a large number of military bases and facilities and many veterans have encountered asbestos exposure during their time in service. Reports indicate that one-third of all mesothelioma cases involve veterans who were exposed to asbestos while serving. Asbestos found widespread use in military contexts, including aircraft, ships, barracks, and various facilities for insulation and fireproofing.
Bases like Bergstrom Air Force Base in Austin and Naval Station Ingleside in Corpus Christi represent just a couple of examples where civilian and veteran personnel may have faced asbestos exposure. Veterans diagnosed with mesothelioma or other asbestos-related conditions stemming from their service should reach out to a Texas mesothelioma attorney to explore avenues for compensation.
Asbestos at Texas Manufacturing Plants
Manufacturers both nationwide and within Texas have integrated asbestos into their facilities and equipment to provide heat insulation. Companies with major facilities in Texas, like Chevron Phillips Plastics, incorporated hazardous materials into various construction products and renovations. The extensive utilization of asbestos in the manufacturing sector stemmed from its ability to withstand high temperatures, rendering it a favored option for construction and industrial purposes.
Despite awareness of the hazards associated with asbestos exposure, many companies opted to use the material, disregarding the health risks to their workforce. As a result, employees in construction and manufacturing roles faced heightened susceptibility to developing mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. Mesothelioma attorneys in Texas offer assistance to individuals exposed to asbestos, aiding them in pursuing workplace compensation for the negligence exhibited by these companies.
Asbestos Exposure at Texas Shipyards
The Texas coast along the Gulf of Mexico has been a major site for shipbuilding for over a century. Asbestos use was extremely widespread in the shipbuilding industry, where is was used in thousands of different parts and applications, especially as insulation to cover pipes and boilers. Anyone who worked at or near the Texas shipyards (or lived with someone who did) was at risk of asbestos exposure. Below are some of the major Texas shipyards where asbestos was commonly used.
Bloodworth Bond Shipyard
Bloodworth Bond Shipyard operated multiple drydocks in Houston and Texas City, constructing ships with asbestos from the 1940s to the 1980s. This resulted in hundreds of employees being exposed to asbestos, prompting legal action against the company. In 2006, the Bollinger Company, which had acquired the shipyard in the 1980s, resolved over 200 asbestos lawsuits for $100 million.
Port Freeport
Port Freeport was a significant employer in the Texas gulf region. Established as an independent governmental entity by an act of the Texas Legislature in 1925, the port spans over 7,500 acres along the Gulf Coast. Serving as a hub for national and international businesses, it stands as one of the area’s largest employers, engaged in the construction, maintenance, and repair of various vessels. Over its extensive history, the use of asbestos in ship construction exposed numerous employees to its hazards.
Until the 1980s, asbestos was heavily utilized in shipbuilding, posing risks of exposure to workers. In 2018, Port Freeport was actually fined by OSHA for its failure to safeguard employees against asbestos exposure.
AMFELS Shipyard
Since the 1970s, AMFELS Shipyard in Brownsville has been constructing various types of commercial vessels, including barges, sludge carriers, and support ships. Employees were often involved in building ships with asbestos without adequate protective gear. Presently operating as the Keppel Offshore and Marine Company, the shipyard continues its operations. Former employees of AMFELS have initiated lawsuits against the company, alleging asbestos exposure during their tenure resulting in mesothelioma. AMFELS has been cited by OSHA for failing to protect employees from asbestos exposure.
Texas Mesothelioma Verdicts and Settlements
Below are summaries of recent verdicts in Texas mesothelioma cases. Keep in mind that for each public verdict in a mesothelioma case, there are probably 20 more cases that get resolved in confidential settlements.
$8,800,000 Verdict (2018): This wrongful death action was brought when an adult male died due to mesothelioma after having been exposed to asbestos during his thirty year work career, including during his 1962 to 1968 employment with defendant Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. The plaintiff estate claimed that the defendant’s negligence, carelessness, recklessness and gross negligence, specifically in failing to warn the decedent regarding the danger of the asbestos to which he was exposed, in failing to enforce certain workplace safety plans with regards to asbestos, and in failing to remove asbestos containing items for the workplace.
$18,600,000 Verdict (2015): This wrongful death action was brought when a 60-year-old man died of mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos fibers at a facility of defendant Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. The plaintiff estate claimed the decedent’s death was caused by asbestos fibers from the defendant’s facility and by the defendant’s gross negligence. A jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff, awarding the decedent’s family $3,600,000 in damages plus $15 million in exemplary damages.
$9,000,000 Verdict (2014): The decedent died from mesothelioma at age 68. For 10 months back in 1967, the decedent worked at a chemical refinery owned by defendant Dow Chemical Co., in Freeport, Texas. The lawsuit alleged that the decedent was exposed to asbestos as a bystander while working at the Dow plant and that this exposure was the cause of his mesothelioma. The family claimed that Dow employees were stripping asbestos insulation from pipes located directly above where the decedent was working at the plant.
$27,505,000 Verdict (2012): A 63-year-old man died from mesothelioma. The decedent worked for years as a parts handler at the Dow Chemical plant in Freeport, Texas. He was responsible for ordering all the replacement asbestos gasket and packing products that were being used by workers in the plant. Johnston had repeated exposure to asbestos from the John Crane gaskets that were being installed and removed by workers with whom he was interacting. The gaskets specified by Dow were made from crocidolite asbestos fiber. He also had direct hands-on exposure to John Crane asbestos gaskets years earlier at a sulfur mining operation. He sued both John and Crane and Dow.
Contact Our Texas Asbestos Lawyers
If you (or a family member) have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and want compensation, contact our Texas asbestos lawyers today for a free consultation at 800-553-8082 or get a free online consultation.