New Jersey has an extensive history with companies within the state once using asbestos. Thousands of former workers in the state have died from asbestos-related illnesses, while others are living with grave illnesses such as malignant mesothelioma. An experienced New Jersey mesothelioma lawyer can help asbestos victims and their families get the compensation they’re entitled to.
If you or a loved have mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis, you may be eligible for a large amount of compensation. Fill out our form to get a free Financial Compensation Packet. You’ll learn about the top mesothelioma lawyers in New Jersey, how to get paid in 90 days, how to file a claim for the asbestos trust funds, and more.
We are pleased to offer assistance to asbestos victims and their families in all areas of New Jersey, including:
Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, Elizabeth, Edison, Woodbridge, Lakewood, Toms River, Hamilton Township, Clifton, Trenton, Camden, Brick, Cherry Hill, Passaic, Union City, Old Bridge, Middletown, Franklin Township, Bayonne, East Orange, Gloucester, North Bergen, Vineland, Piscataway, Union Township, New Brunswick, Jackson, Wayne, Irvington, Parsippany-Troy Hills, Hoboken, West New York, Perth, Amboy, Howell, Plainfield, Washington Township, East Brunswick, Bloomfield, West Orange, Evesham, Bridgewater, Sayreville, South Brunswick, Hackensack, Egg Harbor, Manchester, Mount Laurel, North Brunswick, Kearny, Berkeley, Linden, Monroe Township, Marlboro, Teaneck, Manalapan, Atlantic City, Winslow, Hillsborough, Montclair, Galloway, Monroe Township, Ewing, Belleville, Freehold Township, Fort Lee, Pennsauken, Lawrence Township, Fair Lawn, Willingboro, Garfield, Westfield, Deptford, Long Branch, City of Orange, Livingston, Voorhees, Upper Saddle River, Millville, Mount Olive, Nutley, Rahway, West Windsor, Pemberton Township, Neptune, Lacey, Englewood, East Windsor, Ocean Township, Bergenfield, Bernards, Stafford, Hamilton Township, Paramus, West Milford, Mahwah, Wall, Randolph, Ridgewood, Bridgeton, and more.
Asbestos History in New Jersey
New Jersey is a heavily industrialized state. During the Industrial Revolution of the 19th Century, factories and other manufacturing facilities replaced farms as the main employers for residents. These facilities used asbestos to prevent corrosion, conduct electricity more efficiently, and protect workers and equipment from fire and heat. The large scale use of asbestos by New Jersey’s heavy industries began mostly in the 1940s and continued until the 1970s.
Asbestos use slowly decreased after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) connected exposure to asbestos fibers to lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma. However, asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) are still present in factories and manufacturing plants built before the late 1970s. ACMs are also found in older schools, automobile repair shops, military bases, homes, churches, and other older buildings in the state.
The Environmental Working Group’s 2004 report on U.S. mesothelioma deaths ranked New Jersey #6 in asbestos-related deaths. A total of 9,395 asbestos-related deaths have occurred in New Jersey.
New Jersey, Johns Manville, and Asbestos
New Jersey’s large industrial workforce has been exposed to vast amounts of asbestos in the state since the turn of the 20th Century. The first asbestos-related lawsuits were filed in New Jersey as far back as the 1920s. Yet, the asbestos industry and its corporate clients denied any links between asbestos exposure and various health conditions, including asbestosis and mesothelioma. Companies such as asbestos producer Johns Manville suppressed medical data connecting asbestos to serious health conditions for 50 years.
When the EPA began reporting in the 1970s that a link existed, Johns Manville claimed no such data had been published before 1964. However, Johns Manville possessed information regarding the dangers of asbestos as early as the 1930s but continued production of ACMs regardless.
The company had a large manufacturing plant in Manville, Somerset County. The plant is now closed, but workers were exposed to asbestos during its days of operation. Johns Manville declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1982 after thousands of lawsuits and class action suits filed against it in New Jersey and other states.
Other New Jersey Businesses Associated with Asbestos
Along with Johns Manville, many other businesses have been associated with asbestos, including the following:
Plants
- Campbell’s Soup Plant
- General Motors Plant
- Squibb Pharmaceutical Plant
- Johnson & Johnson Plant
- American Cyanamid Chemical Plant
- OC Berlin Plant
Schools
- Central Region High School (Bayville)
- Berkeley Heights Elementary School
- St. Catherine of Siena (Caldwell)
- Cherry Hill High School
- Clifton High School
- Bergenfield High School
- New Milford High School
- Ridgewood High School (East Orange)
- Rumson Elementary School (East Orange)
- Lyndhurst High School
- Plainfield High School
- Rahway High School
- NJ Training School ( Totowa)
- Totowa Memorial School
- Edinboro State Teachers College
- Cooper Medical Center
Hospitals
- New Jersey State Hospital (Ancora)
- New Jersey State Hospital (Avenel)
- All Souls Hospital
- John F. Kennedy Hospital
- Lakehurst Naval Hospital
- Morristown Memorial Hospital
- Nyack Hospital
- Princeton Hospital
- Somerset Hospital
- Holy Name Hospital
Additional Businesses
- Public Service Electric & Gas Co. Generating Station
- U.S. Pipe & Foundry
- Pennsylvania Reading Seashore Lines
- Exxon (Linden)
- American Standard Inc.
- Arc Mercer, Inc.
- Claridge Hotel
- Atlantic City Electric Co.
- Atlantic City Convention Hall
- Haddon Hall Hotel
- John Sykes Co.
- California Oil
- Owens Corning Fiberglass
- Allied Chemical Corp.
- Bakelite Co.
- Union Carbide Building
- Monsanto Chemical Co.
- Hercules Powder Co.
- Bell Telephone
- Cadillac Dog Food
- Camden Courthouse and Jail
- American Stores Company
- Charles S. Woods Company
- Samuel Miller Center
- Wecoline Products Company
- Mitronics Hi-Temp
- Bordentown Reformatory
- United Gas Improvement Company
- E.I. Du Pont De Nemours Powder Company
- New Jersey State Reformatory For Women
- International Nickel Company
- Forstmann and Huffman Company
- Fritzsche Brothers Inc.
- Federal Telephone & Radio Corporation
- Stewart Hartshorn Company
- Fuchs Lang Manufacturing Company
- Hungerford Electric Manufacturing Company
- Unimatic Manufacturing Company
- Fucho and Lang Manufacturing Company
- Bridgeton Condensed Milk Company
- P.S. Sewaren Generating Station
- Heyden Chemical Corporation
- Hammerschlag Manufacturing Company
- Koppers Coke
- Theobald Animal Products Refinery
Shipyards
- Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock
- New York Shipbuilding
- Naval Weapons Station Earle
- Bethlehem Steel Shipyard
- Todd Shipyard
Asbestos Laws in New Jersey
The New Jersey Department of Health, along with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Affairs, is responsible for the implementation of asbestos laws and regulations in the state. For asbestos in public school buildings, the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs regulates any asbestos-related problems, problems, and remediation.
- To do any sort of asbestos-related work in New Jersey, you must first obtain the proper training and certification, which includes an asbestos permit and an asbestos contractor’s license.
- Any school in New Jersey that was built using asbestos-containing materials must maintain, at all times, an approved asbestos management plan.
- Although homeowners in New Jersey can remove asbestos without approval or licensing, it’s highly recommended to contact a professional.
- For any type of demolition, renovation, or asbestos-abatement work, you must be licensed to work around asbestos before starting the project. In addition, notification must be sent to the state and approved prior to starting.
- Wastes containing more than 1% of asbestos must be encapsulated, labeled, and disposed of at an approved New Jersey waste management location.
For more specific information and in-depth details regarding asbestos rules and regulations in New Jersey, contact the New Jersey Department of Health’s Indoor Environments Program at 609-826-4950.
New Jersey Statute of Limitations on Mesothelioma and Asbestos Lawsuits
Although there is no set statute for asbestos lawsuits in New Jersey, plaintiffs must follow N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2a:14-1 et seq.; the personal injury law for the statute of limitations, which mandates that the lawsuit must be filed within two years of discovering the asbestos-related disease or within two of years from when it should have been reasonably discovered.
In the instance of a wrongful death lawsuit, the same statute applies. However, in New Jersey, the personal injury statute must not have expired before the date of the victim’s death.
Getting Mesothelioma Legal Help in New Jersey
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.
