Mesothelioma Attorney

Asbestos in Subway Stations

Asbestos was long used as an inexpensive variety of insulation that also had excellent fire retardant properties. For this reason, it has been used in a wide variety of locations where there is a great need to keep people safe and prevent destructive fires. One of these areas is in the nation’s subway stations.

In many instances, the subway stations that people are still using today are very old. The majority of big cities have had large transit systems in place for many years and have perfected their amenities. Unfortunately, part of building subway stations many years ago also involved using asbestos to insulate the systems from fire.

Fire is a serious hazard on subways as there is no way for people to get out except at stops. Cities and transit authorities have a vested interest in ensuring that their mass transit systems are safe. At the time the majority of subways were built, asbestos was a widely used material.

Now, however, subway stations across the country are old and, in some cases, falling apart. Cities are making concerted efforts to update their stations. This, generally, involves completely gutting the station stop and re-doing it from the concrete up. Unfortunately, this requires the removal of asbestos.

As in any field, there are good contractors to hire and bad contractors. Cities typically want to get the job done on as little money as possible and so contractors have been known to cut corners when performing work. This is a serious hazard when dealing with asbestos. If asbestos is not removed correctly, the workers and the thousands of commuters that pass through a subway every day can be exposed to the hazards of asbestos.

While some may argue that it’s only a temporary thing or that one instance of inhaled asbestos is not enough to do damage, there is no known way of predicting how much or how little asbestos it takes to cause mesothelioma. In addition, when an entire subway line is being redone, there is great potential that a person will inhale asbestos fibers for an extended period of time, which increases the chance of developing cancer.

Contact a Mesothelioma Lawyer

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or exposed to asbestos, contact the mesothelioma lawyers of Williams Kherkher at 800.781.3955 to discuss your case and to determine your legal options.