Find Out if You're Eligible for Compensation
Despite being one of the smaller states in the United States, Connecticut has a very high risk of asbestos exposure, particularly due to its large involvement in the marine/shipyard industry. Asbestos-containing products can be found in schools, buildings, factories, restaurants, and of course, shipyards. Asbestos is not known to be naturally occurring in the state, but there is a factory in Torrington where asbestos is processed.
Jobs with Asbestos Exposure in Connecticut
Those who work in shipyards and power plants, in addition to those who work in the asbestos processing factory, are at risk for exposure. When inhaled, the asbestos fibers attach themselves to the lining of the lungs (pleura) and begin to either scar the tissues or develop into mesothelioma (cancer of the lung lining).
Asbestos manufacturers have known for decades about the health risks involved with working around and being exposed to the fibers. However, they failed to disclose pertinent information about asbestos to the general public and employers could not take preventative and protective measures for their employees' safety.
Asbestos found in these shipyards, buildings, factories, and other man-made sites can grow old over time and begin to become frail, friable and even more dangerous when disturbed. Friable asbestos is more dangerous because it is more likely to release microscopic fibers into the air, increasing the risk of human exposure.
Where You May Have Been Exposed to Asbestos in Connecticut
Power Plants
- Millstone Power Plant
- Connecticut Yankee Atomic Plant
Shipyards
- Groton Naval Base
- Groton Electric Boat Co.
Deaths Caused by Asbestos in Connecticut
Nearly 500 asbestos-related deaths occurred in Connecticut over a 20-year span starting in 1979. Approximately 50 percent of the asbestos deaths were due to mesothelioma, cancer of the lung linings. The remaining 50 percent was attributed to asbestosis, an asbestos-related disease that causes severe scarring of the lung lining.
Legal Resources for Connecticut
Connecticut has no specific statute that can be applied to mesothelioma cases. However, Connecticut has had cases referencing the deadly disease in other related matters. Such cases included the ruling in Maher v. Quest Diagnostics, Inc., there the state Supreme Court was determining whether “doubling times” of the disease can be presented in the lower courts as scientific fact.
A more notable case was Hatt v. Burlington Coat Factory where the Court determined that the plaintiff could only sue their last, most recent employer believed to have caused the exposure to asbestos, even though they may have worked at other asbestos-exposing environments beforehand.
The state Supreme Court was also able to determine and set collateral estoppels, preventing parties to a lawsuit from raising issues that were already decided against in a prior lawsuit. In the instance of Lafayette v. General Dynamics Corp., Lafayette sued for survivors' benefits under the state's workers compensation law, trying to disprove the decedent cause of death. As the Court had already determined the collateral estoppels due to it already being decided upon in a past lawsuit, the plaintiff's motion to disprove the cause of death was stricken.
