Contact a Libby mesothelioma lawyer for legal advice if you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma or have questions about your rights. Libby was home to W.R. Grace vermiculite mines that operated for years. The mine also contained asbestos and poisoned area residents and workers in vermiculite facilities nationwide.
If you or someone you love suffers from mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis, you may qualify for significant compensation. Fill out our form to get a free Financial Compensation Packet. You’ll learn about the experienced mesothelioma lawyers in Libby, how to get paid in 90 days, how to file a claim for the asbestos trust funds, and more.
FREE Financial Compensation Packet
- Info on law firms that will recover your HIGHEST COMPENSATION
- Learn how to get paid in 90 days
- File for your share of $30 billion in trust funds
Libby Asbestos Facts
- With a sparse population, the number of deaths related to asbestos in Montana is small, just over 1,500 from 1999 to 2017.
- Lincoln County, home of Libby, had the highest number of deaths in that period, with 262.
- The W.R. Grace mines in Libby are part of one of the worst man-made environmental disasters in the U.S.
- The contaminated vermiculite is estimated to be responsible for at least 400 deaths and illnesses in more than 2.400 people.
When Do I Need a Libby Mesothelioma Lawyer?
If you were exposed to asbestos in Libby, and especially if you have already been diagnosed with an asbestos disease, you need a top Montana mesothelioma lawyer.
Because of the special circumstances of the Libby asbestos disaster, legal options for victims are a little different. W.R. Grace, the company responsible for asbestos exposure in Libby residents, went bankrupt.
Victims cannot sue W.R. Grace. However, as part of bankruptcy, the company set up an asbestos trust fund and funded it with $4 billion.
An experienced asbestos attorney in Libby, Montana, can help you make a successful claim with the trust fund. They can also explain any other legal options you might have.
Libby, Montana, and the Asbestos Disaster
Mining has long been an important industry in Montana. Mining in and around Libby began in earnest in the 19th century, and by the early 1900s, it was booming.
The Zonolite vermiculite mines comprised the biggest share of the operation in the region. W.R. Grace bought them in 1963. Vermiculite was used extensively in a range of construction materials.
At its peak period of operations in the middle of the 20th century, the Libby mine produced two million tons of vermiculite mineral per year. The company shipped the vermiculite to processing plants around the country.
As workers, residents, and the government later learned, the vermiculite was contaminated with asbestos. Libby’s mines may have produced around 80 percent of the world’s vermiculite supply.
Mine activities released about 5,000 pounds of asbestos into the air until W.R. Grace ceased operations in Libby in 1990.
What Kind of Asbestos Was in Libby, Montana?
Known as Libby Amphibole asbestos, or LA, the asbestos released in Libby was particularly dangerous. Asbestos is a harmful substance because it sheds fibers that can be inhaled or ingested. Fibers inside the body cause tissue and cell damage, leading to illness in some people.
Friable is especially dangerous because it sheds fibers very easily. Libby Amphibole is highly friable asbestos. Any asbestos would have harmed people in the years that W.R. Grace exposed people to it, but LA was more harmful than other types.
Libby Asbestos Superfund Sites
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designated Libby as a Superfund site. Since 2002, the EPA has been conducting a massive cleanup effort.
Between 1,200 and 1,400 Libby properties still show signs of asbestos contamination.
Thousands of people in Libby and cities with vermiculite processing plants have been exposed and gotten sick from asbestos. The death toll related to Libby vermiculite is expected to continue rising.
Superfund Cleanup Efforts
The EPA has spent hundreds of millions of dollars cleaning up the Libby site. The closed mining facilities have been cleaned of asbestos.
However, the operations by both Zonolite and its corporate owner W.R. Grace went on for so long that even the wood chips in nearby logging mills were contaminated.
Progress is being made, with another site delisting in early 2020. In 2021, the EPA deleted another part of the site from the Superfund list.
The EPA will also soon be handing over control of the site to state and county government agencies.
Compensation for Libby, Montana, Asbestos Victims
The situation in Libby is unique, as it involves so many people, one company, and the government. Libby, Montana, and nationwide asbestos firms have worked hard to get victims the compensation they deserve following this disaster.
While W.R. Grace went bankrupt, lawyers could still hold the state of Montana and its insurer liable for victims’ medical expenses. More than 1,300 plaintiffs in the case were awarded $43 million. Their lawyers showed that the state could have done more to warn workers and residents of the risks at the Libby mine.
Lawyers and victims have also been successful in holding BNSF Railway Company liable. The company tried to dodge liability, but the Montana Supreme Court ruled it was not shielded. It is accused of spreading asbestos dust and contaminating soil in the rail yard.
Some victims and their lawyers have even been able to hold W.R. Grace’s insurer liable for damages despite the company’s bankruptcy. In 2022, an Oregon jury awarded a former W.R. Grace employee with asbestosis $36.5 million.
The jury determined that W.R. Grace’s bankruptcy did not protect the insurer. The insurer had a separate responsibility to warn workers at the mine about asbestos.
The Center for Asbestos Related Disease in Libby
Libby residents affected by asbestos can get treatment at top-notch facilities throughout Montana. Because of the scope of the disaster, residents can also reach out to a local facility for cancer screenings and information about prevention and treatment.
The Center for Asbestos Related Disease (CARD) is funded by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Contact CARD if you have questions about screenings, treatment, and access to mesothelioma specialists.
Getting Legal Assistance in Libby
Remember, if you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis, you may qualify for significant compensation. Get our free Financial Compensation Packet for information on the top mesothelioma and asbestos lawyers in your area. For questions and assistance, feel free to contact us at 800-793-4540.
