Mesothelioma in Wilmington, Delaware
Until the 1980s, industrial jobsites in Wilmington, Delaware, often contained or used asbestos. Companies like General Motors (GM) exposed workers to asbestos, putting them at risk of mesothelioma. Wilmington residents affected by mesothelioma can find local treatment and legal resources below.
Learn More About Asbestos and Mesothelioma in Wilmington
Wilmington, Delaware Mesothelioma Treatment
Wilmington mesothelioma patients have treatment options in Delaware and other nearby states. The Mid-Atlantic region has several cancer centers that offer the latest mesothelioma treatments. Many of these cancer centers are also involved with cutting-edge research of new and emerging mesothelioma treatments. Patients can work with their doctors to determine comprehensive, individual treatment plans. These plans may include joining recommended clinical trials.
Cancer Centers for Mesothelioma Serving Wilmington, Delaware
Mesothelioma patients in Wilmington may find treatment at nearby medical centers and hospitals. Specialized mesothelioma treatment centers are located near Wilmington.
Christiana Hospital is home to the Thoracic, Esophageal and Lung Cancer Multidisciplinary Center at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute. This center employs specialists in many fields. These specialists provide mesothelioma patients with holistic and quality care. The center offers many mesothelioma treatments, including video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and radiofrequency ablation of lung tumors (RALT).
Delaware Mesothelioma Cancer Clinics
Wilmington, Delaware Mesothelioma Doctors
Each mesothelioma case is unique, and care depends on a wide range of factors. Experienced mesothelioma doctors can create a personalized plan for each patient. They strive to improve patients’ length and quality of life by optimizing treatment plans.
Mesothelioma has specific characteristics and treatment options. It is important to find a specialist who has treated mesothelioma patients in the past. A Wilmington patient may already be under the care of a local medical oncologist. A mesothelioma specialist may be able to review their oncologist’s treatment plan. A specialist will understand the latest treatments and can determine the best options for their diagnosis.
Delaware Mesothelioma Doctors
Wilmington, Delaware Mesothelioma Lawsuits
Mesothelioma lawyers work with victims of asbestos exposure in Wilmington to help them understand their legal options for compensation. These attorneys may represent their clients in mesothelioma lawsuits and negotiate financial compensation on their behalf.
Many mesothelioma lawsuits result in settlements. Throughout Wilmington, plaintiffs have received settlements from companies that knowingly exposed employees to asbestos. Mesothelioma settlements may help cover medical costs and lost wages. Settlements may also compensate for the pain and suffering endured by patients and their family members.
Individuals who develop asbestos illnesses in Wilmington may also be eligible for compensation through other legal claims, such as asbestos trust fund claims.
People may have been exposed to asbestos in Delaware at a commercial, residential or military site. If they are diagnosed with mesothelioma, they may be entitled to compensation. Those who have suffered as a result of exposure can contact a qualified mesothelioma lawyer to discuss their options.
Finding a Lawyer or Law Firm in Wilmington, Delaware
Mesothelioma patients in Wilmington should enlist the help of an experienced mesothelioma law firm to pursue legal action. These patients can seek help from nationwide law firms that are experienced in mesothelioma lawsuits. These firms understand laws that may impact filing options.
After explaining the filing process, mesothelioma lawyers can offer help for the entire legal process. Attorneys can file the lawsuit on behalf of their client. Then lawyers can help hold the company accountable for the victims’ injuries.
Deadlines for Filing Mesothelioma Lawsuits in Wilmington, Delaware
National mesothelioma attorneys understand state laws and how they may impact claims. These laws include statutes of limitations. These statutes of limitations set timelines for filing mesothelioma lawsuits in Delaware.
Claims must be filed within 2 years after an asbestos-related diagnosis.
Claims must be filed within 2 years after an asbestos-related death.
Experienced asbestos attorneys can explain how the statute of limitations and other state laws may impact Wilmington victims’ options. They can help find the best filing option for individual cases.
Examples of clients served in Wilmington include:
Age: 61
Occupation: Maintenance worker
Jobsites Worked at: Lorillard, Inc. (1977)
Settlement: ~$3,296,799
Age: 85
Occupations: Army, Plumber
Jobsites Worked at: General Motors Company (GM) (1949 – 1951)
Settlement: ~$2,943,444
Age: 61
Occupation: Laborer
Jobsites Worked at: Hercules, Inc. (1981 – 1982)
Settlement: ~$2,596,299
Age: 75
Occupation: Electrician
Jobsites Worked at: Hatzel & Buehler, Inc. (1980 – 1990)
Settlement: ~$2,083,779
Asbestos Use in Wilmington, Delaware
As a center of industrial manufacturing, Wilmington, Delaware, was home to many asbestos companies. These companies produced railcars, automobiles, ships, gunpowder, chemicals and other products. Before the 1980s, asbestos was popular for both the construction of manufacturing facilities and inclusion in a vast array of products.
Asbestos was also commonly used in machinery and mechanical operating systems, such as boilers for heating. As a result of this widespread use of asbestos, workers employed in various occupations were exposed to its harmful effects. This exposure put them at risk of developing mesothelioma.
Among companies known to have used asbestos and asbestos products in Wilmington were:
- E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company
- General Motors (GM)
- Hercules, Inc.
| Gender | Number of Deaths |
|---|---|
| Male | 116 |
| Female | 26 |
Asbestos at General Motors in Wilmington, Delaware
Employees at GM in Wilmington may be at risk of developing mesothelioma from asbestos exposure at this facility. In the automobile industry, asbestos was often found in brakes and brake parts. This included brake pads, linings, drums and shoes. Asbestos was the preferred material in these parts for its durability and resistance to heat and fire.
Asbestos construction materials were also used to build the GM plant in Wilmington. The plant was sold in 2017 for a new logistics center. When demolition began in 2018, workers documented illegal practices by the contractor hired for asbestos removal. They were not taking the precautions required by law to ensure asbestos fibers did not become airborne.
Posted warnings said panels involved in the demolition contained encapsulated asbestos. An organizer with Laborers Union Local 199 in Delaware noted the contractors “were literally crushing the panels in the dumpster.” The organizer said there were no measures taken to wet the material or seal the work area to prevent the friable fibers from becoming airborne.
The organizer further stated about the asbestos abatement contractor’s workers: “They are out in the yard at GM, and the big pipes are covered with asbestos, and they are just like cutting it with a utility knife and letting it drop like 30, 40 feet to the ground.” The contractor was eventually fined by the state of Delaware for its unsafe and illegal removal of asbestos at this site.
GM filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June of 2009. At that time, the company faced as many as 29,000 asbestos personal injury claims.
People may have been diagnosed with an asbestos disease from exposure at GM or other companies in Wilmington, Delaware. They may be eligible for compensation. An experienced mesothelioma lawyer can help navigate the process of filing a lawsuit.
Wilmington, Delaware Jobsites Where Asbestos Exposure Occurred
- Allied Kid Company
- Amalgamated Leather Companies, Inc.
- American Car and Foundry Company (ACF)
- American Leather Company
- American Life Insurance Company
- Ametek, Inc.
- Atlas Chemical Industries, Inc.
- Atlas Powder Company
- Atterbury VFW Post 3420
- Bancroft Mills
- Bancroft School
- Benjamin F. Shaw Company
- Bestwall Gypsum Company
- Brandywine Building
- Buick-Oldsmobile-Pontiac Assembly Division
- Chester Bethel United Methodist Church
- Chestnut Run Laboratory Buildings and Facilities
- Church of the Holy Child
- Cohen Construction, Inc.
- Conectiv Energy Supply, Inc.
- Container Corporation of America, Paper Mill Division
- Continental Can Company, Bond Crown Division
- Cork Insulation Company, Inc.
- CSX Corporation
- Daniel L. Herrmann Courthouse
- Delaware Bank & Trust
- Delaware Button Company
- Delaware Floor Products Company
- Delaware Hospital
- Delaware Insulation Company
- Delaware Iron Works Historic District
- Delaware Power & Light Company
- Delaware Screw Company
- Delaware State Hospital
- Delaware Steel
- Delaware Steel Service, Inc.
- Delaware Valley Asphalt (DVA)
- Delcastle Technical High School
- Delmarva Power & Light Company
- Department of Public Works
- Devon Condominium
- Diamond Ice and Coal Company
- Diamond State Steel Company
- Dravo Shipyard
- DuPont Building
- Dupont Country Club
- DuPont de Nemours, Inc.
- Dupont Experimental Station
- Edge Moor Chemical Plant
- Electra Arms Apartments
- Electric Hose & Rubber Company
- Estates of the Du Ponts
- Forbes Steel and Wire Corporation
- Gambill & Melville Mills Co.
- General Electric International, Inc. LLC
- General Motors Company
- Georgia-Pacific
- Goshen Iron Company
- H.S. Falk (Ship)
- Harlan & Hollingsworth Co.
- Haveg Industries, Inc.
- Hercules Powder Company
- Hercules, Inc.
- Hercules, Inc. Research Center
- Hilles and Jones Company
- Holy Rosary Roman Catholic Church
- Hopkins Theater
- Hotel Du Pont
- Imperial Chemical Industries Americas, Inc. (ICI)
- Industrial Trust Building
- Jackson and Sharp Company
- Jas. Riddle and Company
- Jessup & Moore Paper Company
- Joseph Bancroft & Sons Company
- Knapp Mills, Inc.
- Lancashire Elementary School
- Luther Towers II
- Maryland Drydock Company
- Mccullough Iron Company
- Memorial Hospital
- Methodist Country House
- Mount Pleasant High School
- National Bank of Delaware
- North American Smelting Company, Inc. (NASCO)
- Order of Elks Pocahontas Temple
- Pelleport Hospital
- Penn Fruit Market
- Pennsylvania Railroad Company
- Prices Corner Shopping Center
- Pullman Company
- Pusey and Jones Corporation
- Pusey, Scott & Co.
- Quinby Company
- Ralston Purina Company
- Riverside Hospital
- Rockland Mills Condominiums
- Rollins International Building
- Sampson Air Force Base
- Shellhorne and Hill, Inc.
- Springer Middle School
- SS William H.G. Bullard (Ship)
- St. David's Episcopal Church
- St. Francis Hospital
- St. Hedwig Church
- St. Helena Roman Catholic Church
- St. Mark's High School
- St. Mary Magdalen School
- St. Paul's Catholic Church
- St. Thomas the Apostle Roman Catholic Church
- Standard Arms Company
- Swift & Courtney & Beecher Company
- Thomas McKean High School
- Thompson Heating and Cooling
- Tidewater Oil Company Refinery
- Tidewater Tankers Ltd
- Towne Theatre
- Turner Construction Company
- USNS Albert J. Myer (Ship)
- Walton, Whann & Co.'s Works
- William Lea and Sons
- Wilmington Chemical Corporation
- Wilmington General Hospital
- Wilmington Hospital
- Wilmington Medical Center
- Wilmington Plaza
- Wilmington Trust Company
- Wilmington VA Medical Center
- Worthington Pump, Inc.
Sources
Baker K. State fines asbestos firm, months after union protested demolition at shuttered GM plant. Delaware Online. August 2019.
Barrish C. Videos of asbestos ‘snow’ at former GM plant in Delaware triggers probe, $66,000 penalty. WHYY. August 2019.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Underlying Cause of Death, 1999-2020. CDC Wonder Online Database.
Heffner E. General Motors’ Asbestos Liability Set At $625 Million. LexisNexis. February 2011.
Lexis Legal News. General Motors Trust Has Paid $5.4 Million To 1,527 Asbestos Claimants.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Asbestos.
The City of Wilmington Delaware. City History.
Financial Assistance for Mesothelioma Patients
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Reviewed by
Jennifer Lucarelli
Mesothelioma Lawyer and Legal Advisor
For more than two decades, Jennifer Lucarelli has served as Legal Advisor at Mesothelioma.com. She has advocated for more than 1,000 asbestos victims, securing millions in settlements and helping them access quality medical care.
