Omaha Asbestos Attorney

Omaha is Nebraska’s largest city, and as such it is also a prominent center of Nebraska industry. The city has long served as a transportation hub for the Midwest, and Omaha’s Union Stockyards were third in the nation for production in the early 1900s.

Omaha’s economy was also spurred by military construction during the 20th century, which included wartime factories and Offutt Air Force Base. The combination of private sector industry and military development during a period of time when asbestos was regularly used during industrial development exposed many Omaha residents to the dangers of asbestos.

Why Is Asbestos Exposure Harmful?

Extensive evidence began to accumulate over the 20th century highlighting that asbestos was harmful to human health, which culminated in the eventual 1970s asbestos ban. In the decades prior to the ban, asbestos was used regularly at industrial and construction jobsites because the mineral is naturally durable and resistant to flames and chemicals.

Unfortunately, microscopic fibers are released into the air when asbestos is disturbed, which becomes toxic to human health once swallowed or ingested. Asbestos, once swallowed, can enter the lining of the lungs and lead to the following fatal diseases:

• Mesothelioma
• Asbestosis
• Asbestos-related lung cancer

Of these often fatal illnesses, mesothelioma has the lowest survival rates. Patients diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma have just a 10% chance to survive past the 5-year mark after a diagnosis is received. This devastating form of cancer is directly attributable to asbestos exposure, even though it can take decades for asbestos exposure to turn into a mesothelioma diagnosis.

As such, Omaha workers or veterans exposed to asbestos decades ago may still be at risk of receiving a mesothelioma diagnosis.

Asbestos Exposure in Omaha

CDC estimates of asbestos-related deaths reveal that Omaha’s Douglas County has lost more lives to asbestos than any other county. In fact, the estimated 425 lost lives between 1999 and 2013 nearly quadruples the 2nd-most affected Nebraska County.

Known Omaha jobsites that exposed workers to asbestos include:

• Ace Drywall Company
• Castle Hotel
• Hilton Hotel
• Lutheran Medical Center
• Offutt Air Force Base
• Omaha Packing
• Omaha Public Power

Since it is a known fact that Offutt workers were exposed to asbestos, it is worth noting that mesothelioma deaths disproportionately affect veterans. Despite making up 8% of the nation’s population, nearly one in three mesothelioma deaths are veterans.

The unnecessary harms, medical costs and lost lives mesothelioma has impacted requires compensation and justice. If you or a loved one have been harmed by asbestos as an Omaha worker or veteran, talk to an Omaha mesothelioma lawyer today.

Talk to an Omaha Mesothelioma Lawyer

The Ledger Law Firm represents Omaha veterans, workers and their loved ones who have been harmed by a wrongful asbestos exposure. If your mesothelioma diagnosis was caused by a legally responsible party that exposed you to asbestos, our firm will help you pursue and receive the justice and legal compensation you deserve.

Contact us online to discuss your mesothelioma lawsuit with an Omaha mesothelioma lawyer today.