|
Beryllium is a hard, grayish metal that is mined and
purified in numerous industries. An essential component
of nuclear weapons and reactors, aircraft, and space
vehicle structures, it also appears in instruments,
x-ray machines, mirrors, electrical elements, and a
host of high-tech gadgets. Beryllium alloys are prized
for their light weight and easy workability. They can
be found in cars, computers, dental bridges, and sports
equipment like golf clubs and bicycle frames.
High demand for beryllium has resulted in the spread
of industrial sites that use it. This in turn has increased
the exposure of innocent people to this toxic substance.
To date, beryllium contamination has been found in and/or
around hundreds of industrial sites nationwide. As a
result of their exposure, people who work or live near
industries that use or manufacture beryllium may develop
lung problems, including cancer. Many develop fatal
chronic beryllium disease (CBD), a signature disease
that only comes from beryllium exposure.
The lawyers of Golomb & Honik are widely known
for handling beryllium cases and have done so in jurisdictions
across the country. These important cases demand and
demonstrate our singular combination of skills and experience,
including:
- Knowledge
of the complex subject matter, including the complicated
science of beryllium exposure and its effects;
- Outstanding
advocacy skills, both in court and in direct negotiation
with industry representatives;
- Dogged
commitment to our clients: We enter into these cases
with the knowledge that they may require years of
hard work, and we possess the determination and resources
to persevere until a favorable conclusion is reached;
- Fearlessness
in the face of giant, well-financed adversaries, such
as the aerospace, aviation, and military-contracting
industries.
It is no surprise that the finest lawyers across the
county recognize Golomb & Honik as national leaders
in this area and routinely refer their beryllium cases
to us. We are among the few firms that tackle these
difficult cases, and we achieve results. Read more about
our beryllium case work here:
- After exposure to beryllium,
some workers at a Reading, Pennsylvania plant died,
and others were injured. A judge who cited the statute
of limitations threw out their lawsuits. However,
the lawyers at Golomb & Honik did not give up
and achieved an important victory before a panel of
judges on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. Golomb
& Honik attorneys argued that the statute of limitations
did not apply because doctors had told the workers
that their illness did not relate to beryllium. Only
at a later time, within the statutory period, was
it known that the illness causing their injuries and
deaths stemmed from beryllium exposure. A majority
of judges agreed, and the cases were successfully
reinstated. Golomb & Honik then achieved a multi-million
dollar settlement against the defendant polluter,
even though the defendant was bankrupt at the time.
- Golomb & Honik represents
thousands of aerospace, machinist, and electronic
workers across America in personal injury and medical
monitoring claims arising from occupational exposure
to beryllium. In such far-flung jurisdictions as Mississippi,
Massachusetts, Georgia, Louisiana, California, New
Jersey, and Pennsylvania, Golomb & Honik has brought
claims on behalf of these workers and their families,
who have been exposed to “take-home” beryllium
on worker clothes and shoes. These claims seek significant
personal injury awards for those who have contracted
chronic beryllium disease (CBD), as well as for those
who have been beryllium sensitized. Medical monitoring
is sought for those whose exposure leaves them at
lifetime risk of contracting sensitivity or CBD.
Golomb & Honik also represents various individuals
who have been exposed to beryllium in small machining
shops and dental labs (beryllium is used in the fabrication
of dental prosthetics). Golomb & Honik’s expertise
in litigating adverse beryllium health effects in both
the occupational and residential setting has been recognized
by the legal community throughout the United States.
|
