California Mesothelioma Lawyer
The asbestos industry knew for decades that asbestos exposure caused deadly conditions. However, companies chose to actively conceal this information rather than take steps to protect workers, harming millions of people to protect profits. The California mesothelioma lawyers at The Lanier Law Firm provide skilled representation to individuals harmed as a result of this corporate greed.
Legally Reviewed By: Mark A. Linder
Senior Attorney | Mesothelioma & Asbestos
- Page Last Updated:
- April 2, 2024
California Companies That Exposed Workers to Asbestos
A Mesothelioma Law Firm That Gets Results
What sets The Lanier Law Firm apart?
What types of cases do our California asbestos and mesothelioma attorneys accept?
How much compensation do I qualify for?
Are only workers at risk of asbestos exposure?
Is asbestos still used in California industries today?
What should I do if I encounter asbestos?
How are California workers protected from asbestos exposure today?
When should I contact a California mesothelioma attorney?
How can The Lanier Law Firm help me with my California mesothelioma case?
California has the highest number of mesothelioma cases in the country, with 307 new cases and 219 deaths in 2019 alone. These tragic numbers are unsurprising, considering California is home to numerous companies that relied on asbestos, including the last asbestos mine in the United States, which operated until 2002.
The California mesothelioma lawyers at The Lanier Law Firm have seen the pain and suffering mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses cause. As a result, we are dedicated to providing our mesothelioma clients with skillful, compassionate advocacy to ensure they receive the compensation they deserve.
California Companies That Exposed Workers to Asbestos
California workers experienced asbestos exposure with virtually no protection from the early 1900s until as recently as the 1970s. Even after asbestos became regulated, workers in many industries have continued to face significant asbestos exposure. California companies with significant occupational exposure include:
Manufacturing
- Alcoa in Vernon
- CertainTeed in Richmond and Riverside
- Dow Chemical in Pittsburg
- E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company in Antioch
- Firestone in Los Angeles
- Harvey Aluminum/Martin Marietta in Torrance (Harbor Gateway)
- Johns Manville in Stockton
- Kaiser Aluminum in Foothill Ranch
- Kimberly-Clark in Fullerton
- Lockheed Corporation in Burbank
- McDonnell Douglas in Long Beach
- Monsanto in Long Beach
- Shell Oil Company/The Dexter Corporation in Pittsburg
- US Pipe & Foundry in Union City
Oil Refineries
- Atlantic Richfield Company in Carson
- Caminol Oil/Beacon Oil in Hanford
- Champlin Petroleum Company in Wilmington
- Edgington Oil/Signal Oil & Gas/Kern Oil in Bakersfield and Long Beach
- Exxon in Benicia
- Gulf Oil in Hercules and Santa Fe Springs
- Mobil Oil in Torrance
- Mohawk Petroleum/Reserve Oil/Getty Oil in Bakersfield
- Powerine Oil in Santa Fe Springs
- San Joaquin Refining Co. in Bakersfield
- Shell Oil Company in Martinez
- Shell Oil Company, Wilmington/Dominguez Facility, in Carson
- Standard Oil Company/Chevron Corporation in Bakersfield, El Segundo, and Richmond
- Unocal in Rodeo
Shipyards/Military
- Bethlehem Shipbuilding in San Pedro
- Camp Pendleton in Oceanside
- Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in San Francisco
- Long Beach Naval Shipyard in Long Beach
- Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Mare Island
- National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO)/General Dynamics in San Diego
- Naval Air Station Alameda in Alameda County
- San Francisco Bay Naval Shipyard in San Francisco
- Todd Pacific Shipyards in San Pedro
Mines
- Coalinga asbestos mines in Fresno County
- Calaveras asbestos mine in Calaveras County
- Panamint talc mine in Inyo County
- Grantham talc mine in Inyo County
- Galena Canyon talc mine in Inyo County
Railroads
- Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway in Barstow and San Bernardino
- Southern Pacific Railroad in Glendale, West Oakland, Roseville, and Sacramento
Power Generation
- Pacific Gas and Electric Company in Antioch
- Southern California Edison in Huntington Beach
A California Mesothelioma Law Firm That Gets Results
The Lanier Law Firm has recovered nearly $20 billion in compensation for clients, including the following results for our mesothelioma clients:
- $7 million in settlements for a career mechanic and truck driver with pleural mesothelioma
- $4.7 million in settlements for a career plumber diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma
- $3.9 million in settlements for a long-time shipyard employee suffering from mesothelioma
- $2.6 million in settlements for a career auto mechanic and former Navy mechanic who developed mesothelioma
- $2 million in settlements for the family of a woman who died of mesothelioma following household exposure to her husband’s industrial talc-laden work clothing
What sets The Lanier Law Firm apart?
With more than 30 years of experience helping asbestos exposure victims recover substantial compensation, The Lanier Law Firm is one of the most experienced mesothelioma law firms in the world.
A Law Firm Defendants Fear
Through the years, our attorneys have built a reputation for being formidable in the courtroom. With a reputation that precedes us, asbestos companies are more likely to offer generous settlements to avoid facing us in court.
Our team of attorneys understands the toll a mesothelioma diagnosis takes on victims and their families, and we work hard to obtain fair and reasonable settlements so our clients can avoid trial.
However, some asbestos companies refuse to take responsibility. Our attorneys handle every case as if it will be litigated in court. This approach ensures we are well prepared to fight for you in court if that becomes necessary for you to receive full compensation for your losses.
A Law Firm That Cares
Our mesothelioma attorneys in California treat clients like family. We spend a significant amount of time with each client so that we can understand the full extent of their pain, suffering, and financial losses. Our clients know they can always reach us for reassurance or questions about their cases.
Our compassion drives us to go to whatever lengths necessary to ensure clients receive the compensation they are due. Our personalized, caring approach to legal care is combined with skill and hard work.
Featured California Mesothelioma &
Asbestos Attorneys
Mark Linder
Mark is a toxic tort, product liability, and personal injury litigation attorney who has represented clients in state and federal courts across the country. He has represented persons exposed to asbestos as shipyard workers, auto mechanics, electricians, and railroad workers. Mark has also represented numerous clients with unorthodox exposure histories, including spouses, children, and siblings suffering asbestos-related injuries as a result of asbestos fibers unknowingly brought home on the asbestos-laden work clothes of family members.
Case Dam
Case is a fervent advocate and passionate litigator who has successfully litigated several mesothelioma cases to verdict. He has performed extensive research on the asbestos industry and its harmful products and served as a trial and appellate attorney for clients exposed to asbestos in a variety of circumstances, including veterans of the United States Armed Services. He is licensed to practice in California, Illinois and Florida.
Below are examples of the types of feedback we regularly receive from our clients:
“The Lanier Law firm has been such a blessing for our family. My mother passed away from mesothelioma. The many settlements my father received allowed him to live comfortably until he passed away at 95. The Lanier Law Firm was very professional and always answered our questions promptly.” — Nancy Katkowski
“Thank you for the overwhelming support, empathy, professionalism, and compassion during the most difficult and heartbreaking time of our lives. We will forever be grateful to all of the staff at Lanier. Listening to me cry every time I called couldn’t have been easy, but you all always took the time to comfort me. Thank you for all you do!” — Stacy Larson
What types of cases do our California asbestos and mesothelioma attorneys accept?
Our mesothelioma attorneys accept cases involving all asbestos-related illnesses, including:
- Mesothelioma
- Lung cancer
- Asbestosis
- Ovarian cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Pharyngeal cancer
To qualify, you must have a confirmed diagnosis of an asbestos-related illness. If you do not know how you were exposed to asbestos, you can still contact us. We have developed an extensive library of asbestos exposure documentation to assist clients with identifying their sources of exposure. Our library includes the following:
- Internal asbestos company memos that have been made public
- Internal asbestos company communications discovered by our private investigators
- Pictures of products you may not know contain asbestos
- An extensive list of companies that exposed workers and others to asbestos
Many of our clients are surprised to learn that they were exposed to asbestos through more than one source. If this is the case, you may qualify for compensation through multiple claims.
How much compensation do I qualify for?
You may qualify for significant compensation. This is determined by the type of case you can file.
Mesothelioma Lawsuits
You may be eligible to file an asbestos-exposure lawsuit depending on specific details surrounding the company and the nature of your exposure:
- Whether the company is still solvent
- Whether you qualify for a workers’ compensation claim
- Whether you were employed by the military and on active duty at the time of your exposure
You may qualify for multiple lawsuits if more than one company is to blame for your asbestos exposure.
Personal Injury Lawsuits
A mesothelioma personal injury claim is a means to seek economic, noneconomic, and punitive damages.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are monetary losses that stem from your illness. These losses may include medical bills, time away from work, and loss of earning capacity.
Noneconomic Damages
Noneconomic damages are intangible losses related to the impact your diagnosis has on your quality of life, such as pain and suffering, mental anguish, and loss of society.
The spouse of an asbestos victim may also file a claim for noneconomic damages, known as loss of consortium. This refers to the physical, psychological, and emotional anguish suffered by the spouse as a result of the disease’s effect on the relationship. This claim is typically included in the asbestos victim’s lawsuit.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages may be awarded in an asbestos case when it can be proven that the defendant’s conduct was particularly egregious. The conduct of numerous asbestos companies meets this standard because they fraudulently concealed information about the asbestos exposure hazards for decades.
Wrongful Death Lawsuits
When an asbestos victim passes away, the survivors may initiate a wrongful death lawsuit for their losses or continue a lawsuit the victim initiated prior to death in an action known as a survival claim. Survival claims and wrongful death claims are generally consolidated into one lawsuit.
Survival Claims
Survival claims allow families to recover the decedent’s losses prior to death. The California legislature recently corrected a statute that prohibited families from recovering noneconomic damages on behalf of their loved ones.
California Code § 377.34, as amended, allows families who file claims after January 1, 2022, and before January 1, 2026, to collect damages for the pain, suffering, and disfigurement experienced by their loved ones before death.
Families may also pursue any economic damages and punitive damages that would have been recoverable by the deceased had they lived.
Wrongful Death
California Code § 377.60 allows the surviving spouse, domestic partner, and children of a deceased asbestos victim to pursue damages for their own losses by filing a wrongful death lawsuit. Wrongful death damages include:
The value of lost financial support the decedent would have contributed during their ordinary life expectancy
The survivor’s loss of the decedent’s consortium
Loss of companionship, assistance, protection, training, and guidance
Burial expenses
The value of household services the decedent would have provided if still living
Asbestos Trust Fund Claims
Numerous companies have filed for bankruptcy after becoming overwhelmed by their asbestos liabilities. If any of your sources of exposure are bankrupt companies, you cannot file a lawsuit. However, § 524(g) of the Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Code requires such companies to establish asbestos trust funds.
Asbestos trust funds provide economic and noneconomic damages to individuals with asbestos-related illnesses and family members of those who are deceased as a result of these illnesses. Filing an asbestos trust fund claim generally results in a faster means of recovering compensation.
VA Claims
If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness and you were exposed to asbestos while serving active duty in the military, you may qualify for VA disability payments and free medical care. Though you cannot sue the military, you may have a claim against companies that sold asbestos to the military.
Workers’ Compensation Claims
If you were exposed to asbestos as an employee of a company in the asbestos industry, you may be eligible to file a workers’ compensation claim. Workers’ compensation provides free medical care for your occupational illness, partial wage replacement, and death benefits.
If you qualify for a workers’ compensation claim, you cannot sue the employer. However, you can file a claim against a third party that provided asbestos materials to the employer. If you do not qualify for a workers’ compensation claim, you may be entitled to file a lawsuit against the employer.
Are only workers at risk of asbestos exposure?
Asbestos was used in a variety of industrial products, consumer goods, and building materials used in commercial and residential buildings until approximately 1986. It was present in common household goods consumers used daily, including appliances, curtains, and fireproofing materials.
Many of our clients at The Lanier Law Firm have been victims of secondary asbestos exposure, which occurs when workers bring home asbestos fibers on their work clothes, resulting in exposing family members.
Is asbestos still used in California industries today?
The majority of asbestos uses are banned, and the latest EPA regulations, if approved, will ban the remaining uses of asbestos. However, California workers are still at risk of being exposed to asbestos through existing products and structures.
Asbestos is still present in older buildings, classic automobiles, older boilers, and other materials. When the asbestos in these products is disturbed, the microscopic fibers are released into the air and can be inhaled. The following activities can disturb asbestos:
- Wear and tear
- Drilling
- Cutting
- Demolition
- Destruction
What should I do if I encounter asbestos?
If you have reason to believe asbestos is present in your home or workplace, it is crucial to hire a licensed, professional inspector to confirm or rule out its presence.
The inspector will likely perform an air quality test and collect samples of the suspected asbestos material. This is the only method by which you can know for certain if a substance is asbestos.
If asbestos is present, an asbestos abatement professional can determine whether it should remain in place or be removed. Removal is not always recommended because it is a hazardous process. The contractor may determine that leaving it in place is the safest course of action.
How are California workers protected from asbestos exposure today?
Numerous federal and state asbestos-exposure laws have been enacted to protect workers. These laws aim to eliminate the release of asbestos fibers into the environment.
Federal Asbestos Laws
OSHA
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, also known as OSHA, regulates the maximum acceptable level of asbestos in the workplace, which OSHA refers to as the permissible exposure limit. Currently, the limit is 0.1 fibers per cubic centimeter during an eight-hour average workday.
OSHA also regulates the procedures used to minimize the release of fibers when asbestos is present. OSHA standards include the following:
- Construction Industry Standard
- Respiratory Protection Standard
- General Industry Standard
These standards are strictly enforced. Violations can result in significant fines and the business being shut down.
EPA
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also sets standards for asbestos, including the Asbestos National Emission Standard and a standard for preventing asbestos exposure in the nation’s public schools, known as the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act. The EPA also regulates asbestos disposal.
California State Asbestos Laws
The State of California has its own version of OSHA known as CAL/OSHA, which sets more specific standards for companies that handle asbestos, including the following:
- CAL/OSHA Construction Industry Standard
- CAL/OSHA General Industry Standard
- CAL/OSHA Standard for Non-Asbestiform Tremolite, Anthophyllite, and Actinolite
- CAL/OSHA Shipyard Standard
- CAL/OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard
When should I contact a California
mesothelioma attorney?
The California statute of limitations requires asbestos exposure lawsuits to be filed within one year of discovering a disability, which is generally the date of your diagnosis. This deadline includes wrongful death cases.
This is a short period, considering the level of preparation required before your lawsuit can be filed. Contacting an attorney immediately after your diagnosis will enable them to build the strongest case possible.
How can The Lanier Law Firm help me with
my California mesothelioma case?
When you retain the California mesothelioma attorneys at The Lanier Law Firm, you can count on us to go to whatever lengths necessary to ensure you recover maximum compensation for the significant losses you have experienced as a result of your illness. Our attorneys will provide the following:
- A thorough investigation into all of your sources of asbestos exposure
- A detailed review of your medical records
- Consultations with life care planners, expert witnesses, and other consultants as necessary
- Timely filing of your lawsuit
- Filing your trust fund claim and workers’ compensation claim, if applicable
- Referrals to resources that can help you and your family with your diagnosis
- Caring, compassionate support during this difficult period in your life
The Lanier Law Firm charges no upfront fees for your case. You won’t owe us anything until we recover compensation for you. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation.
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