The legal team at Belluck Law, PLLC, has the experience, resources and skill to fight for the maximum compensation you deserve. For over 35 years, founding attorney Joseph W. Belluck has represented workers in New Jersey and across the country who were exposed to asbestos while doing their jobs. Joe Belluck has secured more than $1 billion in compensation for his clients, including $32 million for a Navy veteran exposed to asbestos because of his service.
Contact Joe for a free consultation to learn more about how he can help you pursue the compensation you need. Let our team handle getting you the most compensation, so you can focus your time, energy and effort on your loved ones, your passions and your medical treatment.
What Occupations Put Workers Most at Risk for Asbestos Exposure in New Jersey?
New Jersey has long been an industrial powerhouse. Factories producing iron, steel, textiles and trains were built in Paterson, Trenton, Newark and Camden. In fact, Paterson was America’s first planned industrial city, utilizing the Great Falls of the Passaic River to power mills that manufactured locomotives, paper, firearms, silk and much more.
Many of these factories used asbestos in their manufacturing processes due to its durability and resistance to heat and corrosion. In doing so, hundreds of thousands of New Jersey workers were exposed to unhealthy levels of asbestos. A study published in the American Journal of Public Health estimated that between 1940 and 1987, nearly 500,000 New Jerseyans experienced substantial asbestos exposure. That includes 102,700 workers at 16 manufacturing plants, 376,200 workers at eight major shipyards and approximately 7,500 workers in insulation.
The study did not account for all workers in New Jersey who may have been exposed to asbestos, such as construction workers, so the number of New Jersey workers who were exposed is likely even higher. Many of the major industries that still exist in New Jersey today are known to have used asbestos. New Jersey workers in the following occupations and industries were put at particular risk of asbestos exposure:
- Chemical Workers – New Jersey has long been home to chemical manufacturing concerns such as DuPont Chemical, which opened a plant in the state in 1904. Asbestos was frequently used in chemical manufacturing because of its durability and heat-resistant properties.
- Plastics Workers – Since the 1930s, many well-known plastics companies have operated in New Jersey. Asbestos was used in early plastics manufacturing to reinforce products’ heat resistance.
- Shipbuilders – Asbestos was used in the construction and repair of many ships to prevent fires on board. Multiple shipyards in New Jersey are known to be asbestos sites.
- Oil Refinery Workers – Some of the largest oil companies in the country operated refineries in New Jersey, including Halliburton, Mobil, Chevron and Texaco. Asbestos was used throughout the refineries to prevent fires or explosions.
- Power Plant Workers – New Jersey power plants throughout the state used asbestos to insulate against heat and electricity, putting their workers at heightened risk of exposure.
- Construction Workers and Construction Product Manufacturers– For years, asbestos was used in construction products and materials such as tile, insulation, roofing shingles and paint. Workers at the manufacturing plants and the construction sites experienced significant asbestos exposure.
