There are no naturally occurring deposits of asbestos in Nevada, although the state was mined during its frontier days for many other minerals. The primary industry until recently has been the tourist trade in Las Vegas and to a lesser extent, Reno. But the power plants and utilities developed to serve these and nearby communities used asbestos products for insulation, exposing the workers that built and operated them during the 20th Century. The same is true of the earlier hotels in Las Vegas. Nellis Air Force Base and Laughlin Air Force Base are known locations where buildings and power installations used asbestos products. There is at least one refinery in the state along with Stauffer Chemical and Titanium Chemical in Henderson, Nevada.
Mesothelioma Deaths in Nevada
According to a study of death certificates issued between 1979 and 2000 there were 69 deaths during that period caused by asbestosis. During that same time there were between 129 and 210 mesothelioma deaths in the state. The range of deaths is based on the assumption that the low figure, which is confirmed deaths, should probably be higher due to misdiagnosed cases of lung cancer in an era when mesothelioma wasn’t always considered as a diagnostic option. The federal government began tracking mesothelioma deaths in 1999 and issued a report in 2005 that shows a total of 110 mesothelioma deaths in the five year period preceding release of the survey.
Legal Rights of Mesothelioma Victims in Nevada
The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection regulates asbestos abatement procedures and personnel licensing. The agency has been kept busy over the past ten years as older hotels have been extensively remodeled, demolished, or in one case imploded. Asbestos removal in these facilities is a large task and can take its toll as illustrated by a recent $10 million lawsuit filed against Harrah’s Hotel & Casino by a man who claims he and his young son have been sickened by asbestos exposure. The hotel has been repeatedly warned by OSHA about asbestos hazards.
Nevada residents have two years after being diagnosed with an asbestos related disease to file a personal injury suit, or a wrongful death suit in the case of an action filed by the family of the deceased. The statute of limitations for product liability is four years. Read more about how to to find the right Asbestos lawyer as well as recent Mesothelioma case settlements in addition to lawsuits for Mesothelioma.
