Category Archives: occupations

Wisconsin mesothelioma car brakes case

Wisconsin’s Court of Appeals today released Tatera v. FMC Corp., 2008AP170.  This asbestos lawsuit relates to the wrongful death of the plaintiff’s decedent who died of malignant mesothelioma.  The widow asserted that the malignant mesothelioma was caused by exposure to asbestos that took place while the decedent worked in a machine shop.  The decedent had worked with friction brake materials and his job had involved grinding brake linings made with asbestos.

FMC Corp. was a supplier of asbestos brake linings and though it did not manufacture asbestos brake linings, it was alleged to have sent over 18,000 friction lining parts to the decedent’s employer.  The lawsuit asserted that FMC and asbestos brake lining manufacturers were liable for the decedent’s wrongful death from mesothelioma based on Wisconsin strict liability and negligence law.  Essentially, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals held that a such supplier of asbestos products could not be held strictly liable, but could be found negligent in causing the death from mesothelioma.

Wisconsin Asbestos Removal

Wisconsin asbestos removal instructions are being offered by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services  for free from 1-5pm Tuesday at Northcentral Technical College in Wausau.  The sessions are meant to help contractors and property managers and owners address changes to the Wisconsin administrative code that relate to asbestos abatement.  In older properties, asbestos maybe found in flooring, caulks, mastics,  fireproofing materials, ceiling tiles and sidings as well as other building materials.  During the asbestos abatement process, these materials are dealt with carefully so as not to release asbestos dust into the air.

Asbestos Occupations

Asbestos-related occupations include the following:

Auto mechanics
Boilermakers
Bricklayers
Building inspectors
Carpenters
Demolition workers
Drywallers
Electricians
Floor covering manufacturers or installers
Furnace workers
Glazers
Grinders
Hod carriers
Insulators
Iron workers
Laborers
Longshoremen
Maintenance workers
Merchant marines
Millwrights
Operating engineers
Painters
Plasterers
Plumbers
Roofers

For a more complete list see Wisconsin mesothelioma occupations.

Asbestos Shipyards

I also previously mentioned that my client had worked with asbestos at shipyards throughout the U.S.  Even though he lived in Wisconsin, we made a claim against the entities involved with asbestos at those shipyards causing his mesothelioma.  Some shipyards include: Alabama Drydock/Shipping Company, Avondale Shipyards, Brooklyn Shipyard, Long Beach Naval Shipyard, Pearl Harbor Shipyard, Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, and San Diego Naval Shipyard.

Wisconsin Power Plants – Asbestos

In this post, I mentioned that my client had worked with asbestos at a power plant here in Wisconsin.  The following is a list, that is potentially over inclusive, but certainly includes every Wisconsin power plant with asbestos:

County, Company, City/Village

Adams, Wisconsin River Power Co, Castle Rock
Ashland, Northern States Power Co, White River
Ashland, Northern States Power Co, Bay Front
Barron, Barron City of, Barron
Barron, Cumberland City of, Cumberland
Brown, Fort James Operating Co, Green Bay West Mill
Brown, Wisconsin Public Service Corp, Pulliam
Buffalo, Dairyland Power Coop, Alma
Burnett, Flambeau Hydro LLC, Clam River Dam
Burnett, Northwestern Wisconsin Elec Co, Grantsburg Diesel
Burnett, Northwestern Wisconsin Elec Co, Danbury Diesel
Burnett, Flambeau Hydro LLC, Danbury Dam
Chippewa, Northern States Power Co, Wissota
Chippewa, Northern States Power Co, Wheaton
Chippewa, Northern States Power Co, Chippewa Falls
Chippewa, Northern States Power Co, Holcombe
Columbia, Wisconsin Power & Light Co, Kilbourn
Columbia, Wisconsin Power & Light Co, Columbia
Dane, Madison Gas & Electric Co, Blount Street
Dane, Madison Gas & Electric Co, Fitchburg
Dane, Madison Gas & Electric Co, Sycamore
Dane, State of Wisconsin, Capitol Heat and Power
Dane, State of Wisconsin, Univ of Wisc Madison Charter Sreet Plant
Dane, Madison Gas & Electric Co, Nine Springs
Dodge, State of Wisconsin, Waupun Correctional Central Heating Plt
Door, Washington Island El Coop Inc, Washington Island
Douglas, Dahlberg Light & Power Co, Gordon
Dunn, Northern States Power Co, Cedar Falls
Dunn, Northern States Power Co, Menomonie
Eau Claire, Northern States Power Co, Dells
Florence, Wisconsin Electric Power Co, Brule
Florence, Wisconsin Electric Power Co, Pine
Grant, Wisconsin Power & Light Co, Nelson Dewey
Grant, Fennimore City of, Fennimore
Grant, Mid-America Power LLC, E J Stoneman Station
Jackson, Black River Falls City of, Black River Falls
Juneau, Wisconsin River Power Co, Petenwell
Juneau, New Lisbon City of, New Lisbon
Juneau, Elroy City of, Elroy
Kewaunee, Wisconsin Public Service Corp, Kewaunee
La Crosse, Northern States Power Co, French Island
Lafayette, Argyle City of, Argyle
Lincoln, Wisconsin Public Service Corp, Grandfather Falls
Lincoln, Wisconsin Public Service Corp, Alexander
Lincoln, Wisconsin Public Service Corp, Merrill
Lincoln, Wisconsin Public Service Corp, Tomahawk
Lincoln, Packaging Corp of America, Packaging of America Tomahawk Mill
Manitowoc, Manitowoc Public Utilities, Manitowoc
Manitowoc, Wisconsin Electric Power Co, Point Beach
Marathon, Wisconsin Public Service Corp, Wausau
Marathon, Weyerhaeuser Co-Rothschild, Weyerhaeuser Rothschild WI
Marathon, Wisconsin Public Service Corp, Weston
Marathon, Wausau Mosinee Paper Corp., Mosinee
Marinette, Wisconsin Public Service Corp, West Marinette
Marinette, N E W Hydro Inc, Park Mill
Marinette, Wisconsin Public Service Corp, Caldron Falls
Marinette, Wisconsin Public Service Corp, High Falls
Marinette, Wisconsin Public Service Corp, Johnson Falls
Marinette, Wisconsin Public Service Corp, Potato Rapids
Marinette, Stora Enso North America, Niagara Mill
Marinette, Wisconsin Public Service Corp, Sandstone Rapids
Marinette, Wisconsin Public Service Corp, Sandstone Rapids
Milwaukee, Wisconsin Electric Power Co, South Oak Creek
Milwaukee, Wisconsin Electric Power Co, Valley
Milwaukee, Milwaukee Metro Sewerage Dist, MMSD Jones Island Wastewater
Monroe, Cashton Village of, Cashton
Oconto, Oconto Electric Coop, Stiles
Oconto, N E W Hydro Inc, Oconto Falls Lower
Oconto, N E W Hydro Inc, Oconto Falls Upper
Oneida, Wisconsin Public Service Corp, Hat Rapids
Oneida, Wausau Mosinee Paper Corp, Rhinelander
Outagamie, Kaukauna City of, Kaukauna Gas Turbine
Outagamie, Kaukauna City of, New Badger
Outagamie, Kaukauna City of, Kaukauna Diesels
Outagamie, Wisconsin Electric Power Co, Appleton
Outagamie, International Paper Co-Thilmny, Kaukauna
Outagamie, Stora Enso North America, Kimberly Mill
Outagamie, Kaukauna City of, Little Chute
Outagamie, Kaukauna City of, Kaukauna City of Hydro
Outagamie, Kaukauna City of, Old Badger
Outagamie, Kaukauna City of, Rapide Croche
Ozaukee, Wisconsin Electric Power Co, Port Washington
Pierce, River Falls City of, Junction
Polk, Northwestern Wisconsin Elec Co, Frederic Diesel
Polk, Northern States Power Co, St Croix Falls
Portage, Stora Enso North America, Whiting Mill
Portage, Consolidated Water Power Co, Du Bay
Portage, Consolidated Water Power Co, Stevens Point
Portage, Consolidated Water Power Co, Whiting
Price, Flambeau Hydro LLC, Flambeau Lower Project
Price, Northern States Power Co, Flambeau
Price, Flambeau Hydro LLC, Flambeau Crowley Rapids Project
Rock, Wisconsin Power & Light Co, Sheepskin
Rock, Wisconsin Power & Light Co, Blackhawk
Rock, Wisconsin Power & Light Co, Rock River
Rusk, Northern States Power Co, Big Falls
Rusk, Northern States Power Co, Thornapple
Rusk, Northern States Power Co, Ladysmith
Rusk, Dairyland Power Coop, Flambeau
Sauk, Wisconsin Power & Light Co, Prairie Du Sac
Sawyer, North Central Power Co Inc, Winter
Sawyer, North Central Power Co Inc, Grimh
Sawyer, Flambeau Hydro LLC, Arpin Dam
Sheboygan, Wisconsin Power & Light Co, Edgewater
St Croix, Northern States Power Co, Apple River
Trempealeau, Arcadia City of, Arcadia Electric
Vernon, Dairyland Power Coop, Genoa
Vilas, Wisconsin Public Service Corp, Eagle River
Washburn, Northern States Power Co, Trego
Winnebago, Menasha City of, Menasha
Wood, Stora Enso North America, Wisconsin Rapids Paper Mill
Wood, Consolidated Water Power Co, Wisconsin Rapids
Wood, Stora Enso North America, Biron Mill
Wood, Stora Enso North America, Wisconsin Rapids Pulp Mill
Wood, Domtar Industries Inc, Georgia-Pacific Corp, Nekoosa
Wood, Domtar Industries Inc, Port Edwards Mill
Wood, Consolidated Water Power Co, Biron

Mesothelioma cases

Mesothelioma caused by asbestos is a typical case handled by my Wisconsin personal injury law firm.  So for my first post, I thought I’d describe one to give readers a general idea of what type of case I handle involving asbestos.

We will call the client Mr. Smith.  Mr. Smith lived in Wisconsin and was diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma.  It was discovered via biopsy and he had other medical tests including a PET Scan and lung tap.  Mr. Smith was 65 years old.  Out of high school, he joined the U.S. Navy where he served as an auxiliaryman working with asbestos in HVAC and mechanical systems.   While in the Navy Reserves, he also worked with asbestos in various shipyards.  Ships he remembers serving on included submarines and a destroyer and the shipyards he worked in included Baimbridge, Charleston, Portsmith, Norfolk, Philadelphia, and Groton.  After serving in the Navy, Mr. Smith worked at a Wisconsin Electric Power Plant in a boiler room, another area replete with asbestos.  He then worked at a large medical center in Wisconsin doing mechanical work.  He was frequently in areas with pipes, boilers, and insulation all replete with asbestos.

When I met him, Mr. Smith was suffering with breathing difficulties caused by his mesothelioma.  He was somewhat angry with asbestos companies, but was more scared and worried about his family.  Mr. Smith died within nine months of hiring me to help  and though it’s of little consolation to his family, we worked to obtain more than $1,500,000.00 for them.  Every case is handled based on the facts, and the facts in his tragic case warranted this.  Though I could not do anything for Mr. Smith’s fear and anger, I take comfort in knowing that his family is being helped by my efforts.