When a Minnesota teacher or employee in another industry reports to work each day, he or she has a right to reasonably assume that employers are doing what they are supposed to do to maintain a safe working environment. Workers may certainly expect that, if there is a known hazard in the workplace, employers would inform them, as well as take precautions by offering proper training and safety equipment to help employees avoid injury. A school teacher in another state has begun the process of filing a lawsuit against her school district because she believes she suffered long-term asbestos exposure on the job and that it has caused her to contract mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma is a deadly cancer that typically affects the lungs and abdomen. A doctor who spoke about the school teacher’s condition said this particular terminal disease is almost always caused by long-term exposure to asbestos. The woman has taught in the same school district for 30 years. She said she had no idea that there was a dangerous, microscopic substance in the wrapping around the steam pipes in her classroom.
Her recent diagnosis has not only come as a shock to the veteran school teacher, but she says she is saddened that her life is being cut short; she just got married not long ago and was looking forward to sharing a long, happy life with her new spouse. Because there is no cure for mesothelioma, she understands that her time with her family is now limited. Parents of students in the same school district are greatly concerned; one parent said she has noticed a white, powdery substance on her son’s pants on numerous occasions and fears that it contains asbestos.
There are likely Minnesota schools and other buildings that are at high risk for asbestos exposure. Employees, families of school students and guests visiting such places rely on administrators and other officials to adhere to state regulations regarding inspections, and also to let the public know if there is a known asbestos problem at a specific location. Any man or woman who believes he or she has grounds for filing a personal injury claim regarding such issues can reach out to an attorney experienced in asbestos litigation for support.
