Occupational Asbestos Exposure and Mesothelioma
Last Updated:
- May 12, 2025
Workers who were exposed decades ago may just be starting to show symptoms of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases today. If you or a loved one were exposed to asbestos at work and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may be eligible for compensation.
What Is Occupational Asbestos Exposure?
Occupational asbestos exposure occurs when workers are exposed to asbestos fibers at their jobs by working with or around asbestos-containing materials and products. Workers were heavily exposed to asbestos from the 1930s through the 1980s in Louisiana as industry boomed during and following World War II. Because asbestos-related diseases have long latency periods—20 to 60 years from date of first exposure—workers exposed decades ago are still developing these diseases today.
Currently, workers in the construction trades have the highest risk for asbestos exposure in the U.S.[1] Asbestos was widely used in construction materials, and most exposure today occurs during the repair, renovation, removal, or maintenance of asbestos-containing products installed years ago.
A Local 60 Pipefitter's Story
"We call 'em the asbestos crew and we just went in there."
Well, I was exposed to asbestos while cutting out insulation to put in the pipe because a lot of these oil refineries were constantly coming down and we had flanges to take apart. We had all sorts of pipe fitting and anytime we had to cut into a line, we knocked off the asbestos insulation. I was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2021.
How Does Occupational Asbestos Exposure Occur?
Many industries widely used asbestos in the 20th century because of its heat resistance, fire resistance, water resistance, durability, and affordability. Thus, thousands of construction, commercial, and household products have contained asbestos. Occupational exposure occurs when workers use asbestos-containing materials directly or work around others using these materials at industrial and commercial job sites.
For example, an insulator working at a paper mill may tear out asbestos-containing block insulation, releasing the fibers into the air and breathing in the dust directly. Other trades working near insulators in tight confines with low ventilation may also breathe in the dust or bring it home on their clothes and skin, putting their families at risk for secondary exposure.
Who Is at Risk of Occupational Asbestos Exposure?
Occupational asbestos exposure was most common in the construction industry, but union workers and tradespeople in other industries have also been exposed for years. Some of the highest-risk occupations and trades that may have worked around and potentially been exposed to asbestos in the past include:
Common Job Sites in Louisiana That Exposed Workers to Asbestos
The most common job sites for asbestos exposure in Louisiana were shipyards, oil refineries, chemical plants, paper mills, fertilizer plants, power plants, hospitals, churches, and commercial buildings, particularly along the banks of the lower Mississippi River. These job sites used asbestos throughout the 20th century for its heat resistance, affordability, and durability.
One job site known to have exposed workers to asbestos is Avondale Shipyard in New Orleans. Located along the Mississippi River, the shipyard was once the state’s largest private employer. Thus, more mesothelioma victims worked at Avondale than at any other job site in Louisiana.
Exposure at Avondale Shipyard
There have been more mesothelioma victims from Avondale Shipyard than any other job site in the state of Louisiana.
What Are the Health Risks of Occupational Asbestos Exposure?
Even if a worker doesn’t handle asbestos-containing products directly, simply working around people who do is enough to risk exposure. Inhaling or swallowing asbestos fibers can cause the fibers to lodge themselves in the linings of various organs, causing asbestos-related diseases to manifest years later. The most common asbestos-related diseases include:
- Mesothelioma
- Lung cancer
- Colon cancer
- Asbestosis
The latency period for these diseases can be decades long, meaning symptoms may not appear until long after the initial exposure.
A Son’s Story
"The cause of my dad's death was severe asbestosis."
My dad worked at a fertilizer plant in Convent, Louisiana. He did kind of just technical things around the plant as far as cutting pipes, pipe fittings, welding, and certain industrial things around the plant. He was never warned of any type of dangers or harmful products or chemicals or anything at the plant.
Were Regulations in Place to Prevent Asbestos Use in the Workplace?
Asbestos use in the workplace remained unregulated until the 1970s, with more protective measures not implemented until the 1980s. However, multitudes of workers had already been exposed to asbestos for decades by that time.
Since at least the 1930s, manufacturers of asbestos-containing products have known about the toxic mineral’s harmful effects. However, they failed to warn the public or place warning labels on their products. Meanwhile, job site owners, having full knowledge of the dangers of asbestos, failed to take steps to protect workers and contractors. Manufacturers and job site owners both ignored the dangers of asbestos in the pursuit of profit.
Occupational Asbestos Exposure Today
Compensation for Occupational Asbestos Exposure in Louisiana
If you’ve been exposed to asbestos at work in Louisiana, you might have multiple options for pursuing compensation, including filing a mesothelioma lawsuit and filing claims with asbestos trust funds.
1) Mesothelioma Lawsuits: In a mesothelioma lawsuit, you can pursue compensation for your losses from those responsible for your asbestos exposure, such as the manufacturers of the asbestos-containing products to which you were exposed. These suits usually settle out of court.
2) Asbestos Trust Funds: Meanwhile, many asbestos companies have filed for bankruptcy protection. The courts ordered them to establish asbestos trust funds to compensate victims of asbestos-related diseases. These trusts are estimated to contain a combined $30 billion today.
Occupational Exposure Settlements
Mesothelioma and lung cancer patients may receive anywhere from $500,000 to $10 million in compensation in a settlement. Results always vary.
The following are some notable results our sponsor, Baron & Budd, P.C., has obtained in occupational asbestos exposure cases:
$8 million
in total settlements for a Local 53 insulator diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos while working in oil refineries and chemical plants throughout Louisiana.
Over $7 million
for a pipefitter/welder who worked at several petrochemical plants along the Mississippi River around Baton Rouge and developed biphasic pleural mesothelioma.
Over $7 million
for a boilermaker who worked at many of the petrochemical facilities along the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge and suffered from pleural mesothelioma.
Over $6 million
in total settlements for a longshoreman and cargo handler who loaded and unloaded asbestos cargo on ships, wharves, and warehouses in the Port of New Orleans and developed pleural mesothelioma.
Results are not guaranteed and vary.
Contact Louisiana Mesothelioma Advocates
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma and worked at a job site in Louisiana—even if it was decades ago—you might be entitled to compensation. However, it is important to seek legal counsel as soon as possible because mesothelioma is a very aggressive cancer. We will connect you with our sponsor, Baron & Budd, P.C., who can recommend the best routes for seeking treatment and compensation.
Content Reviewed by
Todd Kale
Todd Kale meets with mesothelioma patients and their families across Louisiana to investigate their asbestos exposure, providing compassionate support and guidance during a difficult time.
Cited Source
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023b, May 19). Asbestos toxicity: Who is at risk of exposure to asbestos? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://archive.cdc.gov/www_atsdr_cdc_gov/csem/asbestos/who_is_at_risk.html