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Virginia (VA) Personal Injury Lawyers
Offices in VA Beach, Hampton & Elizabeth City, NC  


Blog Category:

All Serious Injuries

3/5/2010
Emily Mapp Brannon
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Careless Asbestos Disposal Causes Expsoures to Countless UConn Students, Staff

The opening paragraph of a March 3, 2010, University of Connecticut Daily Campus article dispassionately states, "Federal regulations regarding the disposal and release of asbestos-contaminated objects were violated by UConn officials during the renovation of President Michael Hogan's office last October, resulting in alleged asbestos exposures." Another report on this exposure of university students and staff members -- not to mention the construction crews -- to asbestos in the Hartford Courant shows UConn officials have known of the problem for several months but are only making public acknowledgements of it now.

Asbestos fibers can easily enter people's lungs. Once in a person's body, those fibers never leave and can cause scarring that produces emphysema and another breathing problem called asbestosis. Often, asbestos exposure leads to the development of the painful, incurable and deadly cancer mesothelioma.

UConn has reportedly screened people who worked in the building where the asbestos was improperly removed, but the school has not shared any test results with the press. The problem arose because materials being removed as part of the renovation were not fully tested for dangerous substances, and construction crews did not know they needed to use special procedures and equipment when handling those materials. Specifically, the crews made no extra efforts to keep dust down and simply dropped materials out of a window into a Dumpster without using a chute.

Our firm has represented many workers who suffered serious health problems and lost their lives after being exposed to asbestos. My colleagues and I have seen firsthand how even small amounts of the mineral can ruin people's lives years and even decades after it got into their lungs. The best result for everyone put at risk for the failure of UConn officials to follow regulations for doing construction on buildings that may contain asbestos is that their exposure were minor enough to cause no lung damage.

If, however, students, staff, or construction workers do suffer breathing problems or mesothelioma down the road, UConn will need to step up to its responsibility for compensating those people for its carelessness.

EJL

Labels: asbestos cancer Dangerous Products Death disability Emily Mapp Brannon industrial injury attorneys loss of life mesothelioma regulation risk suffering warning


How can you identify a top Virginia injury lawyer for your case? Look no further.

Our VA personal injury lawyers have been selected for many accolades.

Two of the attorneys with our Virginia Beach accident injury law firm, James Lewis and Rick Shapiro, have been named the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. Two of our VA injury lawyers -- Lewis and Shapiro - have been named to Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury since 2010. In addition, Lewis and Shapiro have been selected for inclusion in the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum since 2009. 

Our VA accident injury law firm was the first in the commonwealth nvited to join Primerus, a select group of highly ethical and respected law firms. Rick Shapiro was named as one of the Top 100 Injury Lawyers in Virginia by the National Trial Lawyers Association.


In October, 2000 our law firm and co-counsel obtained what was then the largest verdict in Virginia's history for an injured person. Our brain damaged client received an initial award of $46 million that rose to $60 million with interest when the defendant abandoned an appeal and agreed to settle. 


Best Injury Lawyers in VirginiaTop Virginia Injury Lawyers


Geographical Areas

Our personal injury lawyers handle personal injury cases throughout the eastern USA, and work closely with lawyers in other states on signficant injury cases.

In Virginia, this includes Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News, Suffolk, Richmond, Petersburg, Roanoke, Salem, Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Fredericksburg, Charlottesville, Ashland, Big Stone Gap, and every community on the Eastern Shore, including Accomack, Onancock, Chincoteauge, Wachapreague, and Cape Charles, Bloxom, Eastville, Exmore, Greenbackville, Machipongo, Mappsville, Melfa, Nassawadox, Onley, Tangier, Temperanceville, Wachapreague and Wallops Island.

In West Virginia, we can handle personal injury claims in Bluefield, Beckley, Bridgeport, Charles Town, Charleston, Fairmont, Huntington, Lewisburg, Madison, Martinsburg, Morgantown, Moundsville, Parkersburg, Ripley, Sutton, Weirton, Wheeling and any other town or county.

Injury Lawyers licensed in VA, WV, North Carolina (NC), South Carolina (SC), Kentucky (KY), Florida (FL) and Washington, DC.

 





Virginia Beach, VA Personal Injury Attorneys
Virginia (VA) Personal Injury Lawyers
Specializing in Virginia Wrongful Death & Injury Law 


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