Asbestos was used as an ingredient in building products for many years. Despite its early knowledge about the serious health hazards of asbestos and the availability of non-hazardous substitutes, the asbestos industry actively concealed and misrepresented this information while promoting and using asbestos in many products. Asbestos-containing products, such as sprayed-on fireproofing and acoustical plaster, were installed on exposed ceilings and on structural steel in air plenums. Because of their friable (brittle and easily airborne) nature, these products released asbestos fibers and created an asbestos contamination problem for the building owners over time.
It was not until the late 1960s to early 1970s that the public first began learning about the dangers of asbestos. It was during this time that government regulations were enacted banning the spraying of asbestos products and requiring building owners to remove friable asbestos-containing materials using strict and expensive precautions prior to performing major renovations and demolition. As a result, it was not a question of if, but when the material would need to be removed.
Because of the contamination problem posed by these products, building owners instituted expensive and time consuming Operations and Maintenance (O & M) programs that set forth procedures to minimize the release of asbestos for work performed in the vicinity of the asbestos-containing material.
The attorneys at RPWB have helped hundreds of building owners recover damages from the asbestos products manufacturers. These clients have included individuals, corporations, educational institutions, states and municipal governmental agencies.
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