Asbestos Exposure in Schenectady, New York
Schenectady is about 15 miles northwest of Albany, and 165 miles north of New York City. The city, best known as the site where Thomas Edison moved his Edison Machine Works, which later became General Electric, got its name from a Mohawk word for “near the pines.”
The city, that is home to Union College, has a population of close to 67,000. While the Erie Canal made Schenectady an important trade and transportation center, General Electric and the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) brought about the emergence of Schenectady as a manufacturing center.
Heavy industrialization followed the creation of General Electric in 1892. The city became a major economic force and established itself as a manufacturing center. Manufacturing was integral to the city’s economy and provided thousands of jobs for workers. Until the late 1960’s industry flourished, but as times changed, many manufacturing operations relocated to other areas throughout the United States and the world.
General Electric was one of the largest industrial sites in the world and had its own power plant. ALCO and Schenectady Chemical were also major industrial employers. All of these companies used asbestos in manufacturing products and chemicals.
Local plumbers, carpenters and electricians used asbestos when building homes, schools, colleges, such as Union College, and industrial buildings. Navy veterans living in the area were exposed to asbestos on ships or at GE’s submarine propulsion plant.
The Dangers of Asbestos
Companies that supplied asbestos did not provide adequate safety warnings to alert the workers of the dangers of asbestos exposures. As a result, many men and women inhaled asbestos due to inadequate protective clothing. Asbestos is a human carcinogen, known to cause mesothelioma and lung cancer, with no safe level of exposure.
Mesothelioma has an extended latency period, in some instances 50-60 years, before the disease develops. Symptoms of asbestos-related diseases are similar including shortness of breath, coughing, fatigue, chest pain, weight loss and heart problems.
Each year, nearly 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States. New York is among the states with the highest number of deaths from mesothelioma and other asbestos related diseases. In the state of New York, over 4,000 deaths caused by asbestos exposure have occurred since 1979.
Schenectady Mesothelioma Treatment Resources
Once mesothelioma is diagnosed, the cancer is difficult to treat, although treatments are available that can provide relief from the symptoms. Many patients are diagnosed at the late stage of the disease leaving them with life-threatening complications.
Physicians who specialize in treating mesothelioma patients often have access to the most current, effective treatments. Specialists may also have the most current information on clinical trials. Clinical trials provide researchers with valuable information that may help current and future patients battle the incurable disease, and they provide patients with access to treatments for the disease not yet available through their primary care physician.
Contact us to speak to a highly qualified asbestos lawyers at Belluck & Fox, LLP today for free. A partner from Belluck & Fox will get back with you personally within 24 hours of your call. You can also visit our New York City law office now.