Asbestos is a highly toxic mineral and unfortunately Virginia has an abundance of this naturally occurring asbestos throughout its mighty Appalachian and Blue Ridge Mountain regions.

Two asbestos mines once operated near the Richmond metropolitan area to process the mineral, and a controversial vermiculite mine is still in operation in Louisa which has recently tested positive for some asbestos contamination.

Statistics show that the state of Virginia is ranked 10th when it comes to asbestos-related deaths. From 1979 to 2001 asbestosis accounted for 790 deaths and up to 900 for mesothelioma. For the 1999 - 2004 period there were 456 reported deaths in Virginia due to mesothelioma.

In addition to the actual process of mining asbestos, mesothelioma cases in the state of Virginia are mostly attributed to asbestos exposure in oil refineries, ship yards, chemical plants and power plants. These businesses have all used asbestos-containing materials throughout their operations - mostly for heat insulation, coatings for mechanical equipment, asbestos paint and insulation on machinery and pipes. Of special note are the Hopewell Power Plant and the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth which have utilized asbestos for hundreds of purposes. The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, with more than 230 years of history in ship building and repairs, is the Navy's oldest and largest. At one stage, during WWII, the shipyard employed 43,000 workers in its operations. Unfortunately, just as in other shipyards of the past century, many thousands of these workers were exposed to asbestos.

Today, many seamen and employees are victims of asbestos-related illnesses. The most serious of these is mesothelioma - a form of cancer that develops in the thin linings of the lungs and can quickly spread to nearby organs.

So what should you do if you have been exposed in the past to asbestos fibers in Virginia? First, you must seek professional medical advice and do whatever you can to preserve your health. If your doctor confirms that you have mesothelioma and you are sure that you have contracted the disease at your workplace, you can file a mesothelioma lawsuit. Your next step would be to choose an experienced Virginia-based mesothelioma lawyer to represent you in court to pursue financial compensation.



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