Portland, Maine Mesothelioma Lawyer

A Portland mesothelioma lawyer could help you recover damages if you have an asbestos-related illness. The economy in Portland, Maine, includes a long history of port activities and shipbuilding. Both of these are connected to asbestos exposure in workers.

If you or someone you love suffers from mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis, you may qualify for substantial compensation. Fill out our form to receive our free Financial Compensation Packet. Our packet is loaded with information on experienced mesothelioma attorneys in Portland, how to file a claim for asbestos trust funds, how to get paid in 90 days, and more.

Portland Asbestos Facts

• Portland’s long history of shipping and shipyards, asbestos exposure has been a risk for many residents.
• Between 1999 and 2017, over 2,400 people in Maine died from asbestos-related illnesses.
• Nearly 400 of those deaths were in Cumberland County and Portland.

Shipyards and Asbestos in Portland

Maine has been a center for shipbuilding for hundreds of years. Pines and other trees that grew in its forests were used by the British Navy to build its warships during colonial times. Portland’s position on the coast made it ideal for ports and shipyards.

Asbestos became prized for shipbuilding because of its ability to protect from fire and heat without adding a lot of extra weight.

Asbestos was an integral part of the shipbuilding process, especially throughout most of the 20th Century. Every modern vessel, civilian or military, built from the early 1900s to the 1970s, contained asbestos in almost every component.

Steam pipes, gaskets, wall insulation, and even firefighting suits contained the fibrous minerals because a fire at sea was a major concern for ships’ owners, captains, and crews.

Asbestos use soared during World War II when the U.S. built thousands of warships and cargo vessels to conduct a two-ocean war. In South Portland, 30,000 men and women built 266 cargo ships for the U.S. and Britain between 1941 and 1945.

Todd-Bath Iron and South Portland Shipbuilding owned and operated the two main shipyards. These two companies, which later merged into the New England Shipbuilding Company, closed after the war ended.

For years, the asbestos industry suppressed information about the material’s risks and dangers. Many unsuspecting shipyard workers inhaled or swallowed asbestos fibers while they worked. They were all put at risk of developing diseases like mesothelioma and lung cancer.

Other Portland Job Sites Affected by Asbestos

Shipbuilding wasn’t the only industry that used asbestos. Every major industry that relied on fire produced a lot of heat needed protection.

For decades paper mills, power stations, chemical plants, oil storage tanks, pipelines, public buildings, rail yards, airports, and dockyards used asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) in their construction and operation.

Although asbestos use is now significantly reduced and abatement programs help keep new exposures down, there are many job sites in the Portland area where workers may have been exposed in the past: 

• New England Shipbuilding Company (Todd Iron) East Yard
• New England Shipbuilding Company (South Portland) West Yard
• Wyman Power Station in Yarmouth
• Cape Station Power Generator in South Portland
• Boston & Maine (B&M) Railroad Yard in Portland
• Portland Transportation Center
• Randall and McAllister Coal Company
• Maine Central Railroad Yard in South Portland

Mesothelioma Treatment in Portland

The MaineHealth Medical Center in Portland is home to the Maine Medical Cancer Institute, the largest cancer treatment facility in the state. Its doctors, surgeons, and oncologists provide cancer treatments of all types that meet national guidelines.

The Cancer Institute is also an accredited teaching cancer hospital vetted by the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons.

It is crucial to receive care for mesothelioma from specialists. This is a deadly and rare type of cancer that not all physicians or oncologists can treat.

Legal Assistance in Portland

As previously mentioned, if you’ve been exposed to asbestos and suffer from mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis, you may be entitled to compensatory damages. Remember to fill out our form to get your free Financial Compensation Packet, with information on the experienced asbestos and mesothelioma lawyers in your area. For questions and assistance, feel free to contact us at 800-793-4540.