Products Containing Asbestos

“How is that possible? Isn’t asbestos illegal?” Well, not exactly. While products are no longer made with asbestos in them, the products that were made with asbestos back in the old days are still out there. Think of it in terms of driving on the highway: You still occasionally see an old 1940s Studebaker or even a Model T Ford, don’t you? Read on to learn more about asbestos exposure through common products.

talcum powder bottle on black background

Many Common Products Still Contain Asbestos

It’s the same with products in general, even old products that used asbestos as a fire retardant. Remember that Bunsen burner you used in high school? Or how about some old electrical wires in a house you renovated? An old boiler in the basement? Yes, all of those items were made with asbestos and their effects are still being felt today.

Beyond everyday items, of course, are the larger industrial applications still in use in the market, even though manufacturing them is no longer allowed. These items can include, among other things:

  • Asbestos-contaminated vermiculite — Minnesota imported vermiculite from Libby, Montana, through the 1980s. Asbestos minerals growing near the vermiculite contaminated the ore, exposing workers who came into contact with it.
  • Insulation — Asbestos’s fire-resistant properties made it popular for use in insulation. Asbestos was used in many different types of insulation until 1978.
  • Aircraft — Asbestos was used in airplane brakes because of its ability to withstand high levels of friction without burning up.
  • Brake linings — Asbestos was used extensively in brake linings for cars, trucks, trains and aircraft.
  • Medical and lab supplies — Asbestos was commonly used in fume hoods, but could also be found in gaskets and insulation for sterilization equipment, and other medical and laboratory devices.

Since 1979, clients from throughout the Upper Midwest have depended on our law firm, Sieben Polk P.A., to protect their rights when they have been injured. As a result, we know how to handle your case in a professional and compassionate manner. We especially work with victims of asbestos and their families. Because these cases are often a race against the clock, the courts have instituted a fast-track process.

Not only do we already understand the unique obstacles and pitfalls in this fast-track process, but we also have unique access to the evidence and facts involved in mesothelioma cases in Minnesota. Our firm has handled hundreds and hundreds of cases across the state, including many of Minnesota’s largest asbestos sites and asbestos-related jobs.

Contact Us To Learn More About How We Can Help You

Our attorneys are ready to help you find answers to your questions about whether or not you may have a claim. Call 651-437-3148 or contact us to schedule a free appointment to discuss your case.

Aircraft & Asbestos Exposure to Workers

When you or a loved one is suffering from mesothelioma, facing off against an insurance company is not how you want to be spending your time. So let us do it for you.

Sieben Polk P.A. is Minnesota’s pre-eminent mesothelioma law firm. Since 1979, we have fought to protect the rights of seriously injured people throughout the Upper Midwest. We can do the same for you.

Two mechanics working on a Northwest Airlines jet engine
  • SIGNATURE CASE: Recovered nearly $400,000 for deceased mesothelioma victim who was exposed to asbestos while maintaining Air Force aircraft and while employed by Conwed where he was exposed to asbestos fiber used in the production of ceiling tiles, as well to asbestos pipe covering insulation being applied in his presence in the Conwed plant.

Our experience enables us to provide you with legal representation that is as efficient as it is effective. That means we keep your involvement to a minimum. We can do that because we have handled more mesothelioma cases than any other firm in Minnesota. For that reason, law firms from around the country work with us when they want to work on a case here in the Upper Midwest. Further, we already know how to handle an asbestos case involving the aircraft industry. We have represented clients exposed to asbestos while working with wiring and insulation as aircraft mechanics and in other capacities at locations such as Smith 1, Smith 2 and Loiacono.

If you believe you or a loved one has contracted mesothelioma as a result of contact with asbestos in working with aircrafts, we invite you to reach out to us. Schedule a free initial consultation with our firm by calling 651-437-3148

Brake Linings

.Asbestos is still being used in some brake linings. Auto mechanics can be exposed to asbestos particles when opening brake housings, when they are blown out or when they break apart.

The Minnesota law firm of Sieben Polk P.A. serves the legal needs of asbestos victims from throughout the country, including those people exposed to asbestos from their work with brake linings.

picture of brake pads

Our national reach stems from our command of local issues here in the Upper Midwest. In fact, many national firms team with us for their cases here in our home region. These partnering firms know that we have evidence in asbestos cases here that is simply no longer available from some of the region’s largest asbestos sites.

  • SIGNATURE CASE: Recovered over $635,000 on behalf of mesothelioma victim who had worked as a mechanic at service station from 1961-1977. Client’s chief exposure was to asbestos-containing friction materials, including brake linings. 2014.

If you believe you or a loved one has contracted mesothelioma as a result of contact with asbestos in brake linings at the McGuire site or at any other number of sites involving brake linings, we invite you to reach out to us. Schedule a free initial consultation with our firm by calling 651-437-3148.

Asbestos Insulation

Through our work with various trades and professions, including insulators, we here at Sieben Polk P.A. have developed Minnesota’s premier mesothelioma legal practice. Our investigation of cases throughout the Upper Midwest provides us with a unique command and understanding of the region’s largest asbestos sites and those cases involving businesses such as Svaleson and products such as insulation (including a $400,000 recovery for an injured client).

inspector in an attic looking for asbestos
  • SIGNATURE CASE: Obtained $4,516,250 verdict with Patrick DeBlase of DeBlase, Brown, Eyerly on behalf of accountant who contracted mesothelioma as a result of asbestos exposure at taconite plant. Client worked for just four months at the plant, working as a laborer to earn college money in 1957. Client recalled cutting, mixing and handling pipe covering and asbestos muds. Partner Chad Alexander also served on trial team. 2014.

We have often gathered and analyzed evidence that is key to your insulation-related mesothelioma case, evidence that is simply no longer available to many firms. For that reason, firms from around the country team with Sieben Polk P.A. for their most important asbestos insulation litigation throughout the Upper Midwest and particularly in Minnesota.

Our experience means we hit the ground running in your case. We already hold a command of the law and how it is practiced by the courts. As a result, we can often save critical time, enabling you to spend more of that time with your loved ones instead of having to manage the technical paperwork details of the case yourself.

  • SIGNATURE CASE: Recovered settlements totaling over $1.16 million for commercial estimator suffering from mesothelioma. Plaintiff’s only known asbestos exposure occurred when he would visit construction sites to take measurements for industrial steel railings, stairways and walkways fabricated by his employer. 2011.

Are You A Former Insulation Worker Who Has Mesothelioma?

How can we help you with your mesothelioma case? Reach out to us today by contacting us online to schedule a free initial consultation with our asbestos insulation attorneys today. We can also make an appointment for you if you contact us by phone: 651-437-3148.

Mesothelioma From Medical And Lab Supplies

Few people understand the ongoing problem posed by asbestos in medical and lab supplies such as those like Weise’s. While asbestos can no longer be used in the production of these items, older supplies still nevertheless contain asbestos.

We have handled more mesothelioma cases than any other firm in Minnesota. During that time, we have gathered and analyzed evidence from Minnesota’s largest asbestos sites. Much of this evidence is from the 1970s and is simply not available to other firms anymore.

scientist filling vials

We have been handling asbestos cases for 37 years. Asbestos cases have their own rules and deadlines that can serve as pitfalls to the unwary. Our experienced team knows how to navigate these rules successfully so any compensation you may receive is not unnecessarily delayed.

Compassionate Legal Guidance For Medical and Lab Workers

We know that your case requires compassion. Our mesothelioma law firm knows how to help you so you can spend more time with your family, not in a courtroom. Call us to schedule a free initial consultation: 651-437-3148. You can also contact us online.

Asbestos-Tainted Vermiculite In Minnesota

Here in Minnesota and throughout the Upper Midwest, our firm is known for its representation of asbestos victims in mesothelioma cases. We gained this reputation over decades as we built.

Vermiculite is a silicate mineral found throughout the world. It is used in gardening as a growing medium, in brake pads, and construction as paneling, fireproofing and roofing screeds. Although vermiculite itself is nontoxic, the majority of the vermiculite sold in the United States throughout from the 1930s to the 1980s was contaminated with tremolite, winchite and richterite minerals in Libby, Montana. Winchite and richterite minerals are known commercially as asbestos.

picture of mineral containing asbestos

Western Mineral Products processed more than 120 tons of contaminated vermiculite from the Libby mines at its plant in Northeast Minneapolis. The vermiculite was processed primarily for use as insulation, but it was also used to make furnaces and brakes. A byproduct of the processing was a crushed rock that also contained asbestos. This rock was given away for free to anyone who wanted it.

Individuals who were exposed to the tainted vermiculite have been diagnosed with a variety asbestos-related illnesses, including asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer.

  • SIGNATURE CASE: Negotiated multi-defendant settlement in excess of $1.8 million on Sib behalf of nursery and greenhouse owner/operator suffering from mesothelioma. The plaintiff was exposed to asbestos from a variety of materials used on the job, including asbestos boiler insulation, gaskets, transite sheets, and agricultural grade vermiculite. 2011

Our years of experience also mean that you can rely on us to present a convincing case for you even when the court accelerates the case. Particularly when you want to be spending time with your loved ones, you will rest easier knowing that you have us to take care of these complicated legal technicalities for you. For that reason, when it comes to claims involving vermiculite, therefore, you can rely confidently on our advice to you. We understand every aspect of these cases including the science, the legal process and the hidden pitfalls that can derail otherwise meritorious cases.

Minnesota’s Premier Mesothelioma Law Firm

We have handled hundreds and hundreds of mesothelioma cases for our clients. In the process, we have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation our clients have desperately needed to pay existing and future expenses, including medical bills.

Let us work to do the same for you.

  • SIGNATURE CASE: Wrongful death suit on behalf of office worker, whose only known asbestos exposure occurred when she was in high school. Her father operated a rural school bus line and replaced bus brakes. Plaintiff was exposed to asbestos visiting her father after school at the bus maintenance garage located next door to family home, and contracted mesothelioma just before her 50th birthday. Claim ultimately settled for just over $1 million. 2010.

We already understand how to handle mesothelioma cases involving brake linings. In fact, we have successfully represented the needs of seriously injured clients for more than 43 years. This experience means you can let us handle the technical work while you spend more time with your family doing what matters.

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Our Eagan, MN Office
Mesothelioma Case Results
$8.05 MILLION
An $8,050,000 jury verdict in 2001 on behalf of a pipefitter exposed to asbestos at a refinery.
$5 MILLION
In 2021, Sieben Polk attorneys recovered over $5,000,000.00 before trial for a retired Minneapolis pipe fitter in a lawsuit against manufacturers of asbestos-containing equipment such as steam traps, boilers, pipe covering, pumps, valves and gaskets, as well as defective protective masks.
$4.6 MILLION
A $4,600,000 jury award in March 2008 for a Northern States Power Company (NSP) worker in a case against a gasket manufacturer, affirmed by Minnesota appellate courts on appeal.
$4.6 MILLION
A $4,600,000 jury award in 2014 on behalf of a retired certified public account who spent one summer in the late 1950s working as an asbestos insulator.
$4 MILLION
A verdict of more than $4,000,000 obtained with co-counsel against a manufacturer of asbestos-containing pipe covering on behalf of a client who developed mesothelioma after working with the product for only a few months in the late 1950s while building a power plant.
$3 MILLION
A recovery of $3,000,000 in the case of a retired Twin Cities pipefitter who was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2019 after being exposed to asbestos from the early 1970s through the 1980s. The total was recovered on behalf of this retired worker and his wife.
$2 MILLION
A recovery of more than $2,000,000 on behalf of a northern Iowa plastic molding business owner in a case against manufacturers and suppliers of various resin materials.
$2 MILLION
A recovery of $2,000,000.00 on behalf of a local brewery power plant turbine operator who developed mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos throughout his career.
$1.4 MILLION
A recovery of $1,400,000 on behalf of a laborer and pump mechanic at Butler Taconite and National Steel Pellet in Nashuwauk and Keewatin, Minnesota. The client suffered from malignant mesothelioma.
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