Demolition of Asbestos unknowingly when GC said the job had been checked and was clea

[Walter C.]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?Texas
I was employed (supervisor) by a
contractor who was given a demo contract.
The General Contractor (superintendent)
said the area had been abated and there
was no asbestos. After 2 weeks of removing
several thousand square feet of ceiling
tiles, it was discovered that the tiles
were made of an asbestos product. The
product was airborne from the tiles being
torn away which I inhaled unknowingly in
an enclosed space for several long periods
of time. After meeting and talking with
someone with Mesothelioma, I am wondering
if this disease is going to manifest one
day due to the negligence of my bosses. In
a way I know they knew about the asbestos
but didn't care since my demo crew was,
except for me, all illegal immigrants. The
job was a 5mil church remodel of a church
in Vidor, Texas, GC from Dallas.Do I have
a case?

 

[ecmst12]

Only if you get sick.

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

That is what happens when you work for a company that plays fast and loose with the law. You get what you should expect, law breakers. When you actually have provable damages in 30 or 40 years, come back. Until then suck it up.

 

[Ladyback1]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?Texas
I was employed (supervisor) by a
contractor who was given a demo contract.
The General Contractor (superintendent)
said the area had been abated and there
was no asbestos. After 2 weeks of removing
several thousand square feet of ceiling
tiles, it was discovered that the tiles
were made of an asbestos product. The
product was airborne from the tiles being
torn away which I inhaled unknowingly in
an enclosed space for several long periods
of time. After meeting and talking with
someone with Mesothelioma, I am wondering
if this disease is going to manifest one
day due to the negligence of my bosses. In
a way I know they knew about the asbestos
but didn't care since my demo crew was,
except for me, all illegal immigrants. The
job was a 5mil church remodel of a church
in Vidor, Texas, GC from Dallas.Do I have
a case?

It may very well manifest it's self at some point in your life.

What specifically were the ceiling tiles made of? When was the church built?
What did they do when it was discovered that the tiles were made from an asbestos material?

The only suggestion I have as far as whether you have a claim: Go to your general practice physician. Advise them of the fact that you have believe you have been exposed to possible asbestos. Ask if chest xrays can be done to determine if there is any immediate damage. If there is, file a workers compensation claim for an occupational disease. If not, you will need to monitor your pulmonary status for the rest of your life.
It could manifest later on, or it may not. The residents of Libby, MT were exposed to vermiculite and tremolite for 40+ years before anyone figured out that is was killing them off...

 

[Walter C.]

It may very well manifest it's self at some point in your life.

What specifically were the ceiling tiles made of? When was the church built?
What did they do when it was discovered that the tiles were made from an asbestos material?

The only suggestion I have as far as whether you have a claim: Go to your general practice physician. Advise them of the fact that you have believe you have been exposed to possible asbestos. Ask if chest xrays can be done to determine if there is any immediate damage. If there is, file a workers compensation claim for an occupational disease. If not, you will need to monitor your pulmonary status for the rest of your life.
It could manifest later on, or it may not. The residents of Libby, MT were exposed to vermiculite and tremolite for 40+ years before anyone figured out that is was killing them off...

After several thousand square feet of demo of ceiling tiles, this guy out of no where runs in and stops our crew literally on the last 100 square feet due to the asbestos. They bring in an abatement crew, tent the area off and go in with hazmat suits to remove the rest. The part of the church we were taking down was inside an iron structure built over it. That part was built in the 1940s. As for the suck it up reply, tell that to the guy down my street with 6 months to live.

 

[commentator]

When your friend down the street inhaled asbestos, there were no asbestos suits going on. People didn't know that there was all kinds of danger in this stuff. Your situation isn't really the same as his, because you know so much more about it. How long did he work in it? I bet it was more than two weeks.

But really, follow the suggestion of the poster who says go to your doctor now, get a trail going, and then keep up with the company, the location and situation under which you were exposed. I doubt, even if you call the hundreds of ads being posted on the television channels right now, that you've got a case based on being possibly damaged by breathing asbestos lately. But you can always call them and ask them, can't you?

You were supervising a crew you knew was illegal aliens. You believed the supervisor, we assume, who told you that the material wasn't asbestos, or was harmless. Then at the last minute, (what a coincidence!) they decided it was dangerous and they needed an asbestos removal crew. This sounds so much like a scam deal on the part of the contractor, get most of the work done, and then let the Hazmat guys come in and finish it up so you can't be accused of not reporting it and not doing the work in a legal manner. But not only were you exposed, what about those illegals you were supervising? They were exposed too.

 

[justalayman]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?Texas
I was employed (supervisor) by a
contractor who was given a demo contract.
The General Contractor (superintendent)
said the area had been abated and there
was no asbestos. After 2 weeks of removing
several thousand square feet of ceiling
tiles, it was discovered that the tiles
were made of an asbestos product. The
product was airborne from the tiles being
torn away which I inhaled unknowingly in
an enclosed space for several long periods
of time. After meeting and talking with
someone with Mesothelioma, I am wondering
if this disease is going to manifest one
day due to the negligence of my bosses. In
a way I know they knew about the asbestos
but didn't care since my demo crew was,
except for me, all illegal immigrants. The
job was a 5mil church remodel of a church
in Vidor, Texas, GC from Dallas.Do I have
a case?

No, you don't have a case since you have no damages/


the worst part about this is your crew of illegals are likely to get the worst end of this, if anything does happen. While you are here in the states presumably with your insurance, your crew will likely go on to other employers that take advantage of illegal aliens and provide no insurance, no worker's comp, and quite likely pay them much less than a legal employee would work for.

if this was the only exposure you or your crew was exposed to take some relief in realizing that one of the major factors in who develops mesothelioma is how long a person is exposed to asbestos.

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

When you wallow in violations of the law, sooner or later you get a piece of the action. No one was discussing the person down the street who was exposed and should be legally compensated when he proved it. People do dangerous jobs everyday. No one follows around the ones who are injured from them suffering for it except the family members closest to them. If you are crying for sympathy, I have been severely disabled 23 years and almost killed at work several times. Shed a few tears for me.

After several thousand square feet of demo of ceiling tiles, this guy out of no where runs in and stops our crew literally on the last 100 square feet due to the asbestos. They bring in an abatement crew, tent the area off and go in with hazmat suits to remove the rest. The part of the church we were taking down was inside an iron structure built over it. That part was built in the 1940s. As for the suck it up reply, tell that to the guy down my street with 6 months to live.