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Mesothelioma Lawyers
California Mesothelioma Lawyers
The Simmons firm is a national mesothelioma law firm with an office in Los Angeles, California. We devote a high degree of personal attention to every case no matter where it originates. The firm regularly travels to clients throughout California, as well as the rest of the United States. Call our Los Angeles office at (310) 322-3555 for driving directions and to speak with an experienced mesothelioma attorney.
The mesothelioma lawyers at the Simmons firm represent victims of mesothelioma cancer throughout the United States including the state of California. We have represented thousands of families affected by mesothelioma and asbestos-related cancer and have seen the suffering it causes firsthand. The Simmons firm is dedicated to giving our clients the respect and attention they deserve, no matter where they live. If you or someone you love has mesothelioma, we will come to you. Over the past decade, we’ve represented many clients throughout California, including the cities of:
- Anaheim
- Berkeley
- Burbank
- Compton
- Fairfield
- Fontana
- Hollywood
- Long Beach
- Los Angeles
- Modesto
- Oakland
- Orange County
- Pasadena
- San Bernardino
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Santa Cruz
- Stockton
As a nationwide firm, our asbestos attorneys have the resources and experience necessary to represent individuals and families against large companies in this complex area of litigation. Our firm has recovered over $3 billion in verdicts and settlements for thousands of families dealing with mesothelioma. Our lawyers have recovered $230 million for mesothelioma victims in the state of California alone.*
You should know that California has a unique set of laws that could impact your ability to file a claim. For example, California has statute of limitation laws that restrict the time frame in which mesothelioma victims and family members can file a lawsuit. Rest assured our mesothelioma lawyers are prepared to help you understand the process for filing an asbestos lawsuit and guide you through the legal system. Contact the Simmons firm if you have a question about a potential case.
If you have mesothelioma or lung cancer due to asbestos exposure, please contact our mesothelioma lawyers for a free case evaluation.
An Introduction to Asbestos and Mesothelioma
Asbestos is a deadly mineral that has been used in thousands of products. When microscopic asbestos fibers are inhaled or ingested, they can cause a number of diseases, including mesothelioma and lung cancer. Of the diseases caused by asbestos, mesothelioma is the most aggressive, attacking the internal lining of the lungs and abdomen. Mesothelioma typically does not develop until decades after the asbestos exposure occurred.
Asbestos Exposure in California
The San Diego Naval Station has been a major site of asbestos exposure for individuals who later developed mesothelioma. Sadly, many of our clients are Navy men. In fact, more than 30 percent of Americans that develop mesothelioma were exposed to asbestos during military service.
Most military divisions utilized the cancerous substance for insulation purposes, but more than 300 products containing asbestos were used by the military, primarily by the Navy from the 1930s through the 1970s. Every ship and shipyard built by the Navy before the mid-70s was fitted with numerous asbestos-containing materials. Products such as turbines, generators, pumps, valves, gaskets, packing, cements and pipe covering all contained asbestos.
The San Diego naval base had active ship repair basins until 1945.1 After 1945 and up to 1972, members of the Navy used the basins to dispose "solid waste, scrap metal, demolition debris, lubricants and oils, and paint sludge." Shipyards have long been associated with asbestos-related diseases, and evidence reported by U.S. shipyard workers employed during and after World War II appears in a 1983 hearing before a House of Representatives subcommittee of the Committee on Government Operations.2 Furthermore, after the SS Morro Castle burned down in 1934, government regulations mandated greater fire safety and use of fire-retardant materials like asbestos.
Other asbestos exposure sites throughout California include:
Burbank
Lockheed Martin Aircraft Terminal
Lockheed Martin Aircraft Service
Camp Pendleton
Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base
U.S. Marine Base Field Medical School
Long Beach
Long Beach Naval Station
Long Beach Naval Shipyard
Bethlehem Steel Shipyard
California Shipbuilding Company
Todd Shipyard
Proctor & Gamble Plant
U.S.S. Cavalier
U.S. Naval Shipyard
Los Angeles
Atlantic Richfield (ARCO) Refinery
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
ARCO Twin Towers
Los Angeles County Jail
Tishman Office Building
Firestone Tire Store
Ford Assembly Plant
Southern Edison Building
Texas Corporation Office Building
University of California Medical Center
Western Pipe & Steel Company
U.S. Rubber Tire & Synthetic Rubber Plant
Union Pacific Switchyard
Western Pipe & Steel Plant
Richmond
Standard Oil Refinery
Chevron Refinery
Willamette Shipyard
Shell Oil Refinery
Richmond Kaiser Shipyards (#1- #4)
San Bernardino
Norton Air Force Base
San Diego
San Diego Naval Shipyard
Naval Training Center (NTC)
San Diego Naval Base
Naval Air Station (NAS) North Island
Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar
Naval Station (NAVSTA) 32nd Street
Campbell Shipyard
Conair Aircraft Plant
San Diego Marine Base
Point Loma Naval Submarine Base
U.S. Navy Troop Transport Ship
Southwest Marine Shipyard
Industrial Command U.S. Naval Repair Base
Camp Kearney
National Steel Shipbuilding (NASSCO) aka General Dynamics
Consolidated Aircraft Corp
San Diego Gas & Electric Building
Naval Supply Center
Naval Housing
Port Nimitz Naval Base
San Diego Power Plant
San Diego Military Station
Silver Gate Power Plant
San Diego Radio School
Silver Gate Power Plant
Valley Electric
San Francisco
Hunters Point Naval Shipyard
San Francisco Naval Shipyard
Bethlehem Steel Shipyard
Treasure Island Naval
Moore Drydock Shipyard
U.S. Naval Base
Western Pipe & Steel Shipyard
Candlestick Park Office Building
Western Pipe & Steel
Southern Pacific Railroad Office Buildings A and B
U.S. Steel Shipyard
Wilmington
ARCO Refinery (Atlantic Richfield Co)
Consolidated Steel Shipyard
Texaco Refinery
Bethlehem Steel
Union Oil Refinery
ARCO Oil Company
UNOCAL Oil Refinery
Standard Oil
If you or a loved one has suffered from an asbestos-related disease, please contact us today for a free legal consultation.
Learn More About Mesothelioma:
» Mesothelioma Diagnosis Information
» Filing a Mesothelioma Lawsuit
* Please note that recovery results vary per client. The recovery amounts in each case reflect the specific facts of that case. Further, recovery amounts in past cases are not a guarantee of future results
The majority of individuals who have been exposed to asbestos encounter the so-called "magic mineral" in their line of work, often due to inadequate safety precautions. Others are exposed to asbestos indirectly when they come in contact with the clothing of a family member involved in a high-risk asbestos occupation.
Asbestos has been widely used in many industrial products including cement, brake linings, roof shingles, flooring products, textiles, and insulation. When microscopic asbestos dust particles becomes airborne, they can be inhaled or swallowed and can cause serious health issues.
Common work environments where a mesothelioma or cancer patient may have encountered asbestos include shipyards, oil refineries, sheet metal plants, automotive plants, construction sites, and many more. Click here to view a complete list of occupations that have been linked to asbestos exposure.
Giving Back to Mesothelioma Patients & Families
In 2010, the Simmons firm established the Simmons Mesothelioma Foundation, a private, non-profit organization dedicated to supporting research and advancing awareness about this rare cancer. The Foundation partners with established experts and thought-leaders in the mesothelioma research field. Learn more about the Foundation's current mesothelioma research partners.
As a long-time supporter of the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation and the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, the Simmons firm has an extensive history of supporting the fight against mesothelioma and cancer. The firm has also pledged over $10 million to establish the Simmons Cancer Institute at the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. The institute provides extraordinary new resources to enhance treatments and implement the continuing search for a permanent cure. It is the largest single gift in the history of SIU and establishes the university as home to one of the leading cancer facilities in the United States.
Asbestos Exposure in California Today
Asbestos has not yet been banned in the United States. Its use is regulated, but it is still used in products today. Asbestos has been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a human carcinogen. This assessment is supported by the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), both of which believe that the future use of asbestos should be banned.
For more information about asbestos in California and throughout the U.S., visit the Environmental Protection Agency's website.