A Florida developer was recently sentenced on a misdemeanor count of negligent asbestos removal, which also happened to place the developer’s employees at risk of harm from the known cancer-causing mineral. When asbestos needs to be removed, there is a standard process that asbestos abatement contractors are expected to adhere to once permits to do the work have been obtained.
When these standards are not followed, however, developers or companies that were hired to remove the asbestos safely can be held legally responsible. In this case, the negligence even rose to misdemeanor charges, but the developer was also ordered to pay $250,000 to fund treatment and medical monitoring programs for the workers who may have been wrongly exposed to asbestos during a renovation project because of the developer’s negligence.
This case is an important reminder that employees who are exposed to asbestos during an abatement or renovation process can be entitled to compensation when that exposure is caused by a negligent party.
In the Florida Case, Workers Illegally Removed More Than 100,000 Sq. Ft. of Asbestos Ceiling
In this recent Florida case that resulted in sentencing, it became clear that the developer chose to cut costs instead of having concern for employee safety. As such, the developer’s workers illegally removed an estimated 120,000 square feet of asbestos popcorn ceiling. Incredibly, none of those workers had been trained in asbestos removal and none were provided with more protection than simple paper or fiber dusk masks.
Needless to say, these masks do not protect from the microscopic fibers that enter the air after scraping a ceiling containing those fibers. Inhaling or ingesting these fibers, as some of the workers almost assuredly did, is the primary known cause of mesothelioma cancer.
Sadly, the developer knew of the building’s potential asbestos harms when the property itself was purchased, but even so, he did not complete an asbestos survey before beginning renovation work.
Wrongful exposures to asbestos like the one described are both tragic and criminal, but the case is an excellent example of extremely negligent, uncaring exposures to asbestos that deserve legal compensation.
If building owners, employers or developers subjected you to unreasonable, negligent risk of asbestos exposure, discuss your legal right to compensation with a negligent asbestos removal lawyer at The Ledger Law Firm.
Talk to a Ledger Law Mesothelioma Lawyer
In addition to discussing your rights if you were exposed to asbestos negligently, you should also discuss your legal claim with a mesothelioma attorney if a wrongful exposure to the deadly mineral caused your mesothelioma diagnosis.
If you are unsure whether such an exposure occurred, our national law firm will put our resources to work fully investigating the facts of your legal claim. Once we can prove that a wrongful exposure to asbestos occurred that provides a causal link to your asbestos-related illness, we will help you recover the compensation you are owed.
Contact us online today for a free case evaluation with a mesothelioma lawyer at The Ledger Law Firm to discuss your rights.
