Mesothelioma in Baltimore, Maryland
Asbestos was a common material in shipyards, steel mills and other industrial settings in Baltimore, Maryland. More than 200 Baltimore-area residents died from mesothelioma between 1999 and 2020. Those impacted by mesothelioma in Baltimore can find local treatment and legal resources listed below.
Learn More About Asbestos and Mesothelioma in Baltimore
Baltimore, Maryland Mesothelioma Treatment
Baltimore is home to several researchers, doctors and health care facilities specializing in mesothelioma treatment. Patients have access to standard treatment options, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Tri-modality therapy, a multidisciplinary approach combining the three treatments, is also available.
Mesothelioma doctors develop treatment plans based on the individual needs of patients. Those interested in innovative therapies can ask their doctors about clinical trials at cancer centers and medical schools in Baltimore. These trials test the effectiveness of potential new treatments, such as a chemotherapy and immunotherapy combination for inoperable pleural mesothelioma.
Cancer Centers for Mesothelioma Serving Baltimore, Maryland
Several cancer centers in Baltimore treat mesothelioma. The Mesothelioma and Thoracic Oncology Treatment and Research Center at the University of Maryland is home to an internationally recognized team devoted to researching, diagnosing and treating mesothelioma.
Other skilled mesothelioma care teams in the area include those at the Lung Center at Mercy Medical and the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.
In addition to providing tailored treatment plans for individual patients, these centers often conduct clinical trials to better understand mesothelioma and develop new therapies.
Baltimore, Maryland Mesothelioma Doctors
Mesothelioma patients can receive care from many specialists in Baltimore. The city offers access to multiple doctors with expertise in specific types of mesothelioma.
For example, about 10% of patients with peritoneal mesothelioma in the United States consult with medical professionals at the University of Maryland’s Mesothelioma Treatment and Research Center.
Baltimore, Maryland Mesothelioma Lawsuits
An experienced Maryland mesothelioma lawyer can help those impacted by mesothelioma determine if they’re entitled to compensation. Funds may come from companies that made, sold or used products containing the mineral. Mesothelioma patients and their families often face financial hardships because of costs related to treatment, travel and wages lost due to illness.
Baltimore is one of the leading jurisdictions for asbestos-related lawsuits in Maryland. The city has experienced tens of thousands of residents filing claims for personal injury or wrongful death due to asbestos exposure. If you were exposed to asbestos in Maryland at a commercial, residential or military site and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may be entitled to compensation.
Finding a Lawyer or Law Firm in Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore residents who want to pursue mesothelioma claims should consult with lawyers who have expertise in asbestos-related litigation. Mesothelioma law firms based in Baltimore, the state of Maryland or national firms with local experience can provide appropriate counsel.
Deadlines for Filing Mesothelioma Lawsuits in Baltimore, Maryland
Lawsuits filed in Baltimore must follow Maryland law, including statutes of limitation. The statute of limitations sets the time frame within which a claim must be filed.
Claims must be filed within 3 years after an asbestos-related diagnosis.
Claims must be filed within 3 years after an asbestos-related death.
Working with law firms with knowledge of the local area may be beneficial to claimants. For example, law firms familiar with asbestos use in Baltimore may have information about known exposure sites in the city. These lawyers can assess the merits of a case, determine the company at fault, pursue steps for litigation and compensation and negotiate settlements for their client.
Examples of clients served in the greater Baltimore area include:
Age: 63
Occupations: Coast Guard, Engineer
Jobsites Worked at: Montgomery Ward (1940 – 1948)
Settlement: ~$8,809,230
Age: 52
Occupations: Construction, Plant worker
Jobsites Worked at: Black Pearl Mining Company (1980 – 1981)
Settlement: ~$3,246,697
Age: 66
Occupation: Navy, Machinist
Jobsites Worked at: Clendenon Brothers (1964)
Settlement: ~$1,960,656
Age: 82
Occupation: Steelworker
Jobsites Worked at: Legg Mason Wood Walker Inc. (1987 – 2005)
Settlement: ~$1,575,165
Asbestos Use in Baltimore, Maryland
Asbestos is a natural mineral that was used commercially throughout North America from the late 1800s through the 1970s. In Baltimore, asbestos was used in shipyards, steel mills, power plants and manufacturing facilities. The mineral was commonly used in these industries because of its strength and durability.
Asbestos was also common in construction products in the city. For example, insulation, floor tiles, ceiling tiles, roofing materials and siding shingles in homes, schools and other structures in the city may all contain the mineral.
| Gender | Number of Deaths |
|---|---|
| Male | 170 |
| Female | 42 |
Asbestos Exposure From the U.S. Coast Guard Shipyard in Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore emerged as a shipbuilding hub in the late 18th century and the industry peaked during World War II. Asbestos was used in shipyards across the country during this time period.
Local shipyards at Locust Point, Sparrows Point and Fairfield built a record number of vessels during the war. Workers at Key Highway Shipyard also repaired about 2,500 ships during those years.
Due to the widespread use of asbestos, shipyards were common sources of asbestos exposure. Workers constructing, repairing and dismantling ships may have inhaled or ingested asbestos fibers. Those breathing in fibers for long periods are at higher risk of developing mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses.
The U.S. Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore, also known as Curtis Bay, has been identified as one Baltimore shipyard where asbestos exposure has impacted workers and resulted in deaths.
A study published in the journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine followed 4,702 civilians employed at the Curtis Bay shipyard between 1950 and 1964. Researchers found male employees had five times the mortality from mesothelioma when compared to the general public.
The study found increased risks for mesothelioma for a wide range of occupations at the shipyard, including:
- Carpenters
- Electricians
- Plumbers
- Vehicle and garage mechanics
- Machinists
- Sheet metal workers
- Woodworkers
- Shipfitters
- Welders
- Cutters
- Laborers
Although some workers, such as sheet metal workers and pipefitters, had direct contact with materials containing asbestos, other employees were also exposed. The study attributes this bystander exposure to workers spending long periods near asbestos workers in small, enclosed spaces.
Although asbestos use was restricted after the 1970s, repair work continued in the shipyard. Repairs, general maintenance and deconstruction of older ships likely resulted in ongoing exposure for some workers.
In 2003, a Baltimore Circuit Court jury awarded $2.6 million to the wife of a man who died from mesothelioma attributed to exposure at Curtis Bay. He was employed as an electrician for 33 days and worked with steam pipes insulated with an asbestos covering.
Curtis Bay is still an active U.S. Coast Guard shipyard, with about 450 workers engaged in the repair and modernization of ships.
Baltimore, Maryland Jobsites Where Asbestos Exposure Occurred
- Abex
- Airco Welding Products
- Alleghany Community College
- Allied Chemical Company
- Amerada Hess Corporation
- Amercian Tobacco Company
- American Bitumuk Company
- American Can Company Morton Plant
- American Export Isbrandtsen Lines
- American Hammerod Platon Rings
- American Ice Company
- American Medicinal Spirits Company, Inc.
- American Oil Company
- American Radiator and Standard Sanitary C Orp.
- American Smelting & Refining
- American Standard Heating & Plumbing
- American Sugar Refining Company
- American Union Transport Fwdg Inc.
- Amstar Corporation
- Anchor Fence & Post
- Anne Arundel City Sanitary
- Archbishop Curley
- Archbishop Keough High School
- Armco Steel Corporation
- Armstrong Contracting & Supply Corporation (ACandS, Inc.)
- Arthur Tufts
- Arunah S. Abel
- Arundel Elementary School
- Ashburton Heating Company
- Astoria Light Ht. and Power Company
- B and O. Railroad Company
- B&O Warehouse
- Back River Treatment Plant
- Balitmore Thermal
- Balmar Corporation
- Balrimore Gas and Electric Company
- Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
- Baltimore Bleach Dye and Finishing Company
- Baltimore Chrome Works
- Baltimore City Courthouse
- Baltimore City Hall
- Baltimore City Hospital
- Baltimore City Jail
- Baltimore Copper Smelting and Rolling Company
- Baltimore County
- Baltimore Electric Power Company
- Baltimore Electric Refining Company
- Baltimore Housing Authority
- Baltimore Manufacturing Company
- Baltimore Marine Industries
- Baltimore Refinery
- Baltimore Resco
- Baltimore Sewage Pumping Plant
- Baltimore Sheet and Tin Plate Company
- Baltimore Sugar Refining Company
- Baltimore Transit Company
- Baltimore United Oil Company
- Balto Company and Smelting and Rol. Company
- Barr Plant
- Barre Victory
- Bartlett Hayward Company
- Baton Rouge Victory
- Baugh Chemical
- Bay View Asylum
- Bayview Medical Center
- Belmont Elementary School
- Ben H. Miller
- Bendix-Broenig Highway
- Bernard N. Baker
- Bernheimer Brothers
- Bethlehem Fairfield
- Bethlehem Shipyard
- Bethlehem Steel Baltimore Lower Yard
- Bethlehem Steel Corporation
- Bethlehem Steel Fairfield Shipyard
- Bethlehem Steel Key Highway Shipyard
- Bethlehem Steel Mill
- Bethlehem Steel Sparrows Point Shipyard
- Biddeford Victory
- Black & Decker
- Black River Sewage Plant
- Blaustein Building
- Blue Cross
- Board of Child Care
- Bon Secours Hospital
- Borg Warner Corp
- Boston Iron & Metal
- Boston Metals Company
- Brandon Shores Power Plant
- Bristol Paper Products Corp
- Broadbent and Davis Mantel Company
- Broadway Medical Office Building
- Broadway Services
- Bushrod Washington
- Bwi Airport
- Byron Darnton
- C&P Telephone Company
- Calvert Distillery
- Calvert Sugar Refining Company
- Calverton Junior High School
- Cancer Research Center
- Canton Box Company
- Canton Railroad Company
- Cardinal Gibbons School
- Carl Thusgaard
- Carlings Brewery
- Carlyle Apartments
- Carr Lowrey Glass Company
- Carson Ceilings & Walls, Inc.
- Carver Vocatioal Technical High
- Caso Standard Oil Company
- Cathedral of Mary Our Queen
- Celanese Corporation of America
- Central Dist. Police Station
- Central Falls Victory
- Central Lab & Office Building
- Charles Center
- Charles M. Schwab
- Charles P Crane Generating Station
- Charles Scribner
- Cherry Hill Housing
- Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone
- Chesapeake Paper Board Company
- Chevrolet Assembly Plant
- Chevrolet Motor Company
- Chevron Asphalt Company
- Children's Center
- Church Home and Hospital
- City Baking Company
- Civic Center
- Clarence M Mitchell, Jr Court
- Clifton Conduit Company
- Cloverdale Farms Dairy Company
- Coca-Cola Company
- Cochran, Hill & Company
- College of Notre Dame
- Color Craft Paint Company
- Colt Insulation
- Columbia Graphophone Company
- Columbia Mall
- Comfort Sprint Corp
- Commercial Credit Building
- Condea Vista Company
- Consolidated Gas, Electric, Light & Power Company
- Constellation Power Source Gen
- Consumers Gas Elec. Light & Power Company
- Continental Oil Company
- Continental Trust Company Building
- Corkran Hill and Company Inc.
- Cotton Mather
- Croker & Stallings, Inc.
- Crook-Kries and Company
- Crosby S. Noyes
- Cross Keys
- Crosse and Blackwell Company
- Crown Central Petroleum
- Crown Cork and Seal Company
- Curtis Bay Distillery
- Curtis Bay Pigment Plant
- Curtis Bay Shipyard
- Curtis Bay Works
- Daniel Chester French
- David De Vries
- Davidson Chemical Corporation
- Days Inn
- Deaton Generator
- Deep Creek Middle School
- Defense Plant Corporation
- Department of Social Services
- Diamond Shamrock Chemical Company
- Diplomat Apts
- Domino Sugar
- Donnybrook Apartments
- Dunbar High School
- E W Horstmeir and Son
- E.I. Du Pont De Nemours
- East Point Victory
- Eastern Rolling Mill Company
- Eastern Stainless Steel Corporation
- Eastpoint Mall
- Eastpoint Shopping Center
- Eddco Supply Corporation
- Edison Electric Illuminating Company
- Edmundson High School
- Edward Cook
- Edward L. Grant
- Edwin A Robinson
- Egan Marine Contracting Company
- Emerson Hotel
- Enterprise Steam and Hot Water Heating Company
- Esskay
- Esso Standard Oil Company
- Exxon
- F and M Schaefer
- Fairfield Shipyard
- Fallon Federal Office Building
- Family House of Aberdeen
- Federal Office Building
- Felippe A. Broadbent Mantel Company
- First Maryland Building
- First Maryland National Bank
- Fleischmann Company
- Flynn and Emrich
- Fmc Corporation
- FMC Insecticide Plant
- Food Fair Store
- Food Machinery & Chemical Corporation
- Forest Park Senior High School
- Fort Meade
- Four Roses Steam Plant
- Francis D. Culkin
- Francis Scott Key Medical Center
- Franklin Balmar Corp
- Franklin Square Hospital
- Frederick Banting
- Friendship Airport Firehouse
- G W Gail and Ax Branch
- G.E. Insulator Dept.
- G.L. Martin
- Gas & Electric Company
- General Electric Company
- General Motors
- General Refractories Company
- Gibbs and Company
- Gibbs Preserving Company
- Gladfeller Building
- Glass Containers Corp
- Glen L Martin Plant
- Glen Martin Aircraft
- Glidden Plant
- GMC
- Good Samaritan Hospital
- Goucher College
- Gould Street Generating Station
- Grace Line
- Grainsville
- Greater Baltimore Medical Center
- Greek Orthodox Church
- Green Contracting Company
- Greenspring High School
- Greenwald Packing Company
- Gulf Oil
- Gulf Stream
- Gunther Brewing Company
- Gw Gail and Ax.
- H A Wagner Power Plant
- H&S Bakery
- Halethorpe
- Hamilton Hotel
- Hamms Brewing Company
- Hampshire Corporation
- Hannis Distilling Company
- Harbison Walker Refractories
- Harbor Hospital
- Haverford Victory
- Hebrew Hospital
- Hecht Company
- Heilmann Brewery
- Henry Gilbert Costin
- Henry L Benning
- Henry Sonneborn Company
- Herbert A. Wagner Station
- Hess Oil Company
- High Point Victory
- Highfield Apartments
- Hilton Elementary School
- Hilton Hotel
- Hinde and Dauche Paper Company
- Hochschild-Kohn
- Holland Thompson
- Holy Rosary Church
- Home For The Aged
- Horace Gray
- Howard Senior High School
- Howard Victory
- Hughes and Rigby Eng. Company
- Humble Oil Company
- HW Wagner Station
- I.B.E.W.
- Immanuel Lutheran Church
- Israel J Merritt
- J Whitridge Williams
- J.F. Ford Fords Grand Opera House
- J.H.H. Hospital
- Jacob H Schiff
- Janet Lord Roper
- Jemcor Realty Company
- Jewish Medical Center
- John Bannard
- John Dushane and Company Woodbine Mills
- John Gallup
- John H. Hatton
- John H. Heald and Company
- John Hopkins Hosp
- John J McGraw
- John L Deaton Center
- John Laforge
- John Motley
- John Russell Pope
- John Woolman
- Johns Hopkins Hospital
- Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
- Johns Hopkins University
- Jose Artigas
- Jose Marti
- Joseph E. Seagram Company
- Joseph Leidy
- Kaiser Aluminum
- Kaydon Ring and Seal Inc
- Kennecott Copper
- Kennecott Refining Corporation
- Keswick Home for the Incurables
- Key Highway Shipyard
- Keyser Building
- Kimball Tyler and Company
- Kingan and Company
- Koppers Company
- Koppers Company Inc.
- Korvettes Department Store
- LaFayette Court Apartments
- Leaseway Systems of Baltimore, Incorporated
- Legum Distributors
- Lever Brothers
- Lewis Emery, Jr
- Lexington Street Apartments
- Lexington Terrace Apartments
- Liberty Place Apartments
- Lithol
- Little Sisters of The Poor Nursing Home
- Loch Raven Apartments
- Loch Raven High School
- Locke Inc
- Locke Insulators
- Locust Point
- Lombard Junior High School
- Lord Baltimore Press
- Lord Delaware
- Louis Kossuth
- Louis Yaekel Building
- Louisa M. Alcott
- Lower Yard
- Loyola College
- Main Post Office
- Marlborough Apartments
- Martin Company
- Martin's Airport
- Maryland Biscuit Company
- Maryland Casualty
- Maryland Cup
- Maryland Dry Dock & Shipbuilding Company
- Maryland General Hospital
- Maryland Glass
- Maryland Ice Company
- Maryland National Bank
- Maryland Overpak Corp
- Maryland Pavement Company
- Maryland Portland Cement Company
- Maryland Rehabilitation Center
- Maryland Shipbuilding & Drydock Company
- Maryland Terminals Company
- Marylander Apartments
- Masonry Service Company
- Matheson Building
- McCloskey Company
- McCormick Asbestos Company
- MD Terminals Corp
- Melvil Dewey
- Mercantile Safe Deposit & Trust Building
- Mercy Hospital
- Mexican Petroleum Corporation
- Mid Atlantic Coca Cola
- Middle River High School
- Middleborough School
- Mineral Pigment Corporation
- Mondawmin Shopping Center
- Montebello State Hospital
- Morgan State College
- Morgan State University
- Morton Reed and Company
- Mount Clare
- Mount Royal Pumping Station
- Mount Sinai Hospital
- Mount Vernon Mills
- Mount Vernon Shops Pa Railroad
- Mt. Sinai Hospital
- Murphy Homes
- Mutual Chemical Company of America
- N.Y.U. Victory
- Nathan Clifford
- National Brewing Company
- National Enameling and Stamping Company
- National Engineering Company
- National Gypsum Company
- National Sugar Manufacturing Company
- New Carlings Brewery
- New Gerontology Building
- Newport News Shipyard
- Northern Central Elevator
- Northern Electric Company
- Northern High School
- Northwestern Senior High School
- Norton Tin Plate and Can Company
- Notre Dame College
- Oakley Wood
- Old South Baltimore Hospital
- Olin Mathieson Chemical Corp
- Olin Underground
- Orangeville Shops
- Owens‐Corning Supply Corporation
- Parkville High School
- Patapsco Scrapyard
- Penn Central
- Pennsylvania Railroad
- People's Court
- Pepsi Cola
- Philadelphia Quartz Company
- Pier Dundalk Marine Terminal
- Pigment Plant Curtis Bay
- Pimlico Race Track
- Plenum 1St Maryland Building
- Polytechnic High School
- Polytechnic Institute
- Poly-Western High School
- Polywestern Tech School
- Port of Baltimore
- Porter-Hayden Company
- Post Office
- Power & Combustion
- Pratt St. Power House
- Proctor and Gamble Manufacturing Company
- Provident Hospital
- Radio Plant
- Regal Laundry and Zoric Dry Cleaners
- Reid-Avery Manufacturing
- Remington & Son Manufacturing
- Revere Copper and Brass Company
- Richard Cromwell Trustee
- Richard Morton
- Riggs, Distler and Stringer Inc.
- Rio Chubut
- Ritchie Highway Shopping Center
- Riverside Substation
- Robert Eden
- Robert Erskine
- Rock Hill Victory
- Rockland Bleach & Dye
- Rockland Industries
- Rollins Victory
- Ross G Marvin
- Rushville Victory
- Saint Agnes Hospital
- Saint Michael's School
- Saint Rita's Church
- Savings Bank of Baltimore
- Schmidt's Bakery
- Scott McHenry Streets Stations
- Scullen Steel Company
- Seagrams
- Security Square Mall
- Shaeffers Brewery
- Sheepshead Bay Victory
- Sheppard Pratt Hospital
- Signode Plant
- Sinai Hospital
- Slade Avenue High Rise
- Sonneborn Building
- South Baltimore General Hospital
- South Baltimore Plant
- Southeastern Police Station
- Southern Hotel
- Sparrows Point Shipyard
- Sparrows Point Steel Mill
- Spartansburg Victory
- Speilman building
- Spring Garden Plant
- Spring Garden Station
- Spring Gardens Gas Plant
- Spring Grove Hospital
- St. Agnes Hospital
- St. Augustine Victory
- St. Joseph's Hospital
- St. Mary's Seminary Chapel
- Standard Insulation Company of Maryland
- Standard Oil Refinery
- Station Y
- Steamship Corporation
- Stebbing Company
- Stebbins and Sons
- Steelworker's Union Hall
- Stewart's
- Sun Life
- Sun Ship
- Sussex Elementary School
- Sutton Place Apartments
- Swindell Brothers
- T J Smith
- Teamsters Hall
- Tench Tilghman
- Thaddeus Kosciusko
- Theodore Hamm Brewing Company
- Theodore Roosevelt
- Thomas Nelson Page
- Thos. C. Basshor Company
- Tin Decorating Company of Baltimore
- Titan Steel Corporation
- Todd Shipyard
- Todd-Johnson Dry Dock Inc.
- Trigen Baltimore Thermal Energy Corp
- Turners Station
- Tynes Smith Factory
- U. S. Coast Guard
- U.S. Food and Drug building
- UMBC
- Union Abattoir
- Union Memorial Hospital
- Union Railroad
- Union Station
- Union Trust Company
- United Railways and Electric Company
- United States Industrial Alcohol Company
- United Steel Workers of America
- University of Baltimore
- University of Maryland
- Uplands Apartments
- US Industrial Chemicals, Inc.
- Us Shipping Board Baltimore
- Veterans Hospital
- Village Cross Keys
- Virginia Cross Key
- W.R. Grace
- Wagner Station Powerhouse
- Walbrook High School
- Walbrook Senior High School
- Wallace Asbestos, Incorporated
- Walters Art Gallery
- Warner Lambert
- Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railway
- Western Electric Company
- Western Police Station
- Western Senior High School
- Western Vocational Technical
- Westinghouse Electric Company
- Westport Steam Station
- Westview Shopping Mall
- Wilmer Institute
- Wilson Distillery Company
- Wilson Victory
- Wise Brothers
- Wood Weeks and Company
- Woodbridge Victory
- York Borg-Warner
- Young Mens Christian Association
Sources
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Public Health Assessment — Curtis Bay Coast Guard Yard. August 2004.
Asbestos Nation. Asbestos-Related Deaths in Maryland.
Baltimore Museum of History. Key Highway Yards: Once Baltimore’s “largest and most important” shipyard. Updated September 2020.
Britannica. Baltimore.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Underlying Cause of Death, 1999-2020. CDC Wonder Online Database.
John Hopkins Medicine. Breaking Research News from Annual Meeting of American Society of Clinical Oncology. News Wise. June 2020.
Jury Awards $2.6 Million in Asbestos Case. The Baltimore Sun. April 2003.
Krstev S, Stewart P, et al. Mortality Among Shipyard Coast Guard Workers: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Occupational and Environmental Medicine. October 2007;64(10):651–658. doi: 10.1136/oem.2006.029652
Maryland Department of the Environment. Fact Sheet on Asbestos.
Mercy Baltimore, MD. Peritoneal Mesothelioma Treatment by Expert Doctors at Mercy.
Potter M and Shockley M. Baltimore City, MD: A Jurisdiction in the Asbestos Litigation Unlike Any Other. KCIC. January 2020.
Financial Assistance for Mesothelioma Patients
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.