A search through the Virginia Federal District Court Cases for asbestos-related personal injury product liability lawsuits such as mesothelioma lawsuits brings up an extensive list of over fifty lawsuits filed by Virginia mesothelioma lawyers from 2006 and 2007. Many of these cases are petitions for and notices of removal from asbestos litigation; the defendants regularly include Amchem Products Inc. and American Air Liquide Corp. One of the regular defendants in cases that are not petitions for removal is American Standard, Inc.
Virginia is ranked 10 in the U.S. for mesothelioma cases. With a mesothelioma mortality rate of 13.67 per million, Virginia has a crude mortality rank of 17 in the country. Part of the reason why Virginia tends to have a high rate of asbestos and a large number of asbestos cases stems from the fact that the state is known for its shipbuilding industry, and that industry has in the past extensively used asbestos products.
In Virginia, there are a number of known asbestos-exposed areas. These include the Alexandria VA Hospital and Patco Electric in Alexandria, the Bremo Bluff Electric Tank & Plant in Fork Union, the Fort Lee Boiler Room & Electric Co and the Hopewell Plant in Hopewell, the Lasalle Atomic Powerhouse, the North Anna Powerhouse and the North Anna Nuclear Power Plant in Mineral and Newport News Shipbuilding . In Norfolk alone, the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, the Norfolk Naval Shipyard Shop, the Lyon Shipyard Portsmouth and the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard are known sites. Other known asbestos-exposed areas in Virginia include the Norfolk Western Railroad in Roanoke, the Surry Nuclear Power Plant, the Swanton Tannery, Dupont in Washington, the Chesapeake Paper Powerhouse in West Point, and BP Amoco in York Town. Richmond has five known asbestos-exposed areas: Chesterfield Electric, Dow Chemical, Dupont, Primary Refining, and Richmond College.
Individuals living or working near these areas should be checked regularly for signs of mesothelioma in order to file any lawsuits within the state’s statute of limitations, and are encouraged to contact a Virginia mesothelioma lawyer as soon as possible after a diagnosis. While many of these sites have been inspected and some have been cleaned up, anyone who worked or lived in these areas before asbestos contamination was reported can still be affected. Also, it is important to keep in mind that these are only known asbestos sites. Other areas in the state may also contain asbestos but may not yet have been reported as such.
One key asbestos case in Virginia involved Vaughn Oney, a man who was employed at Newport News Naval Shipyard between 1963 and 1973 and was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2004, as a result of his exposure to asbestos at the shipyard. He passed away in 2005. A Virginia circuit court awarded his widow $9.25 million as compensation for her late husband’s suffering and death. The defendants in the case were two shipbuilding suppliers: John Crane, Inc., a multi-national company that used asbestos in its gasket and sealant products; and Garlock Sealing Technologies, a Palmyra, New York, company that made the same products. Crane was ordered to pay 60% of the amount, with Garlock responsible for the rest.
Those interested in filing a mesothelioma lawsuit in Virginia should know that the statute of limitations for personal injury law in Virginia is two years with a discovery rule that states that this amount of time begins when the problem (in this case the mesothelioma) either was discovered or should have been discovered. Wrongful death cases are limited to a two-year statute of limitations with the same discovery rule. However, lawsuits for personal injuries or wrongful death arising from real estate improvements are subject to a five-year statute of limitations. There is no special statute for asbestos cases in Virginia.
