Asbestos & Mesothelioma Law Blog
Federal investigators recently opened an inquiry into whether several asbestos clean up companies operating in Massachusetts paid crews fairly for all of the work performed renovating asbestos tainted properties in the Boston area. Over the past few years, the U.S. Justice Department has opened up several investigations into worker mistreatment and wage theft involving hard working clean up crews putting their health and safety on the line to make sure others are not exposed to deadly asbestos.
Over the past five years, Boston has seen a boom in asbestos removal projects to remove the mesothelioma-causing insulation from older building flush with the cheap and once widely used substance. However, many of these projects come with a cost to the workers doing the jobs as well as to the office employees who sometimes continue to work inside buildings while restoration goes on.
The targets of the Department of Justice investigation, Absolute Environmental and Absolute Environmental Contractors Inc., are accused of collaborating to suppress workers’ wages and turn a higher profit. According to grand jury witnesses, the companies in question paid workers two different pay rates, one for union work at about $35 per hour and another for “non-union” at a rate about half as much.
Another asbestos removal company, Skinner Services Inc., has come under scrutiny for not paying workers for the time traveling on long trips between job sites and making questionable deductions from employee paychecks. Workers for Skinner Services claim they see very little money at the end of the week after deductions are made, making a difficult job even harder.
Complaints About Asbestos Exposure Went Ignored
In addition to wage theft, some workers in the industry claim they were exposed to asbestos during routine demolition and renovation projects but were ignored by supervisors. Often times, construction workers go on to job sites without proper breathing masks, not expecting to encounter the dangerous industrial material.
Even though regulators take asbestos exposure very seriously, many workers suffer exposure and develop mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer affecting thin tissue lining surrounding the lungs and abdomen. Furthermore, the disease can take years to show symptoms, making it too late to remove deadly tumors before they can spread even more.
Fortunately, the law gives asbestos cancer victims the right to hold wrongdoers accountable for negligent conduct by filing mesothelioma cancer lawsuits to recover for medical bills and lost wages. Speaking to an experienced mesothelioma lawyer about your case can help you understand your legal rights and who can be held accountable to help you live a more comfortable life.
Nationwide Mesothelioma Lawyer
If you or a loved one were diagnosed with mesothelioma, contact our office to speak to one of our experienced nationwide mesothelioma attorneys about your situation. Our office can help investigate your case and determine if compensation can be sought from negligent parties to help pay for your medical treatment to help you and your family live a more comfortable life.