If you or a loved one was recently diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis or another illness related to exposure to asbestos and you were a student or staff member at the University of Michigan, contact Bailey & Glasser, LLP for a free case evaluation. The University of Michigan has over 150 buildings that are known to contain asbestos. This can put UMich students, faculty and staff at risk – and make them eligible for financial compensation. Contact us today at (866) 871-7971 to discuss your legal rights.
Why Choose Bailey & Glasser, LLP?
- We have uncovered widespread asbestos contamination in college and university buildings across the country, and have secured hundreds of millions of dollars for clients suffering from related diseases.
- We have years of experience handling asbestos exposure cases and have the resources to handle even the most complicated claim or lawsuit. We aren’t afraid to go up against any defendant, including the University of Michigan.
- Our asbestos and mesothelioma attorneys offer contingency-based legal representation. This means you won’t pay your lawyer for a case involving asbestos exposure at U-M unless you secure financial compensation.
What Are the Health Risks Associated With Exposure to Asbestos at the University of Michigan?
Asbestos refers to a group of six minerals that have all been confirmed as carcinogenic (cancer-causing in humans) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Inhaling or ingesting asbestos particles or fibers can lead to asbestos getting lodged inside the body. Common locations are the lining of the lungs (pleura) and abdomen (peritoneum). Over time, asbestos particles can irritate the surrounding area and cause scarring and inflammation. In some cases, this can lead to the development of malignant tumors (cancer).
Diseases and illnesses connected to exposure to asbestos include:
- Mesothelioma
- Asbestosis
- Pleural plaques
- Pleural effusion
- Lung cancer
- Laryngeal cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Ovarian cancer
- Other cancers
Sadly, there is no cure for asbestos-related illnesses. Mesothelioma is an aggressive and terminal type of cancer with a life expectancy of 12 to 21 months after the date of diagnosis (with treatment), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The latency period or time between the date of asbestos exposure and the development of related illnesses ranges from 20-60+ years.
University of Michigan Campus Buildings With Asbestos
Many colleges and universities throughout the United States were constructed prior to safety regulations being passed regarding the use of asbestos. This means that thousands of campus buildings still contain asbestos today. The University of Michigan is one of them. Approximately 75 percent of U-M’s buildings were constructed prior to 1980, when asbestos was still widely used in construction and building materials.
According to U-M’s survey of campus buildings by its Department of Environment, Health & Safety, the following buildings are known or presumed to contain asbestos building materials:
- Administrative Services
- Aerospace Engineering – Plasma Research
- Aerospace Engineering – Power Plant
- Aerospace Engineering – Propulsion Lab Building
- Aerospace Engineering – Pumping Station
- Aerospace Engineering – Wind Tunnel Building
- Alice Lloyd Residence Hall
- Angell Hall
- Angell Hall Auditoriums
- Argus II
- Art & Architecture
- Association for Asian Studies
- Auto Engineering Lab Fuel Mixing Building
- Bentley Historical Library
- Betsy Barbour
- Biological Station – Residence Hall
- Biological Station – Stockard Lakeside Lab
- Bonisteel Interdisciplinary Research Building
- Bursley Hall
- Burton Tower
- Cambridge House
- CC Little Science Building
- Chrysler Center
- Clements Library
- Coliseum
- Cooley Memorial Building
- Couzens Residence Hall
- Crisler Arena
- Dance Building
- Dennison
- Dental School (Excludes Kellogg Institute)
- East Hall
- East Quadrangle
- Edwin George Reserve – Barn Laboratory Apartment
- Edwin George Reserve – Camburn Laboratory
- Edwin George Reserve – Caretaker’s House
- Edwin George Reserve – Frog Pond Laboratory
- Edwin George Reserve – Garage #2
- Edwin George Reserve – Garage Apartment
- Edwin George Reserve – Hill & Dale House
- Edwin George Reserve – North Gate House
- Edwin George Reserve – Shed
- Edwin George Reserve – South Gate Annex
- Edwin George Reserve – Stable
- Edwin George Reserve – Wiltse Building
- Edwin George Reserve – Workshop
- Elbel Field Locker Building
- Engineering Programs Building
- Engineering Research Building I
- Engineering Research Building II
- Environmental & Water Research Engineering
- Equipment Maintenance Shop
- Facility Services Building A
- Facility Services Building B
- Facility Services Building C
- Fire Service Instruction & Research Center
- Fletcher Hall
- Fletcher Street Parking Structure
- G.G. Brown Laboratory
- Golf Clubhouse
- Golf Course Cart Shed
- Health Management Research Center
- Helen Newberry
- Henderson House
- Hoover Avenue Heating Plant
- Hutchins Hall
- Industrial & Operations Engineering
- Institute for Science & Technology Gas Storage
- Institute for Science & Technology South
- Institute for Social Research
- Intramural Sports Building
- John Cook Law Quad
- Kellogg Institute (Excludes Dental School)
- Kraus Natural Science
- Lay Automotive Lab
- Legal Research Library (Excludes Underground Library)
- Lorch Hall
- LS&A Administration Annex
- Madison Building
- Mail Services Building
- Martha Cook Residence Hall
- Mary Markley Residence Hall
- Matthaei Botanical Gardens – Environmental Building
- Matthaei Botanical Gardens – Exhibit Greenhouse
- Matthaei Botanical Gardens – Greenhouse #1
- Matthaei Botanical Gardens – Greenhouse #2
- Matthaei Botanical Gardens – Greenhouse #3
- Matthaei Botanical Gardens – Greenhouse #4
- Matthaei Botanical Gardens – Greenhouse #5
- Matthaei Botanical Gardens – North Barn #1
- Matthaei Botanical Gardens – North Barn #2
- Matthaei Botanical Gardens – Reptile House
- Matthaei Botanical Gardens – Research/Administration Building
- Matthaei Botanical Gardens – Superintendents Residence
- Matthaei Botanical Gardens – Utility/Boiler Building
- Modern Languages Building
- Molecular & Behavioral Neuroscience Institute
- Mosher Jordan Residence Hall
- Museum Annex
- Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering
- Newberry Hall
- News & Information Services
- Nichols Arboretum – Garage & Workshop
- Nichols Arboretum – Residence
- North Campus Recreation Building
- North Campus Service Building
- North Campus Storage Building
- North Hall
- North Hatcher Summary
- Original Law Quad
- Oxford House – Cheever Hall
- Oxford House – Emanuel Hall
- Oxford House – Geddes Hall
- Oxford House – Goddard Hall
- Oxford House – Noble Hall
- Oxford House – Plant Service Building
- Oxford House – Seeley Hall
- Oxford House – Vandenburg Hall
- Public Policy Annex
- Radiation Sciences Lab 2
- Radrick Farms Golf Clubhouse
- Revelli Hall
- Ruthven Museum
- School of Education
- School of Information North
- School of Music
- School of Nursing
- School of Public Health II
- Simpson Memorial Institute
- South Hatcher Graduate Library
- South Quadrangle
- Space Research
- Stearns Building
- Stockwell Residence Hall
- Tappan Hall
- Transportation Services Building
- Varsity Drive Building
- Vera Baits I – Eaton House
- Vera Baits I – Lee House
- Vera Baits I – Parker House
- Vera Baits I – Smith House
- Vera Baits I – Stanley House
- Vera Baits II – Coman HouseVera Baits II – Conger House
- Vera Baits II – Cross House
- Vera Baits II – Thieme House
- Vera Baits II – Ziwet House
- Victor Vaughan
- West Quadrangle
- Wolverine Tower
The materials within these buildings that are likely to contain asbestos include paints, adhesives, floor tiles, ceiling tiles, fire doors, spray-on coatings, laboratory countertops, plasters, wallboard and linoleum. If these materials are disturbed or damaged during building projects or renovations at the University of Michigan, asbestos particles can be released into the air and inhaled or ingested by students and staff nearby.
Asbestos Exposure at the University of Michigan
Like most universities, UMich has instituted an asbestos management program. Rather than actively removing asbestos from its buildings, however, the University of Michigan’s goals are to 1) identify asbestos-containing materials, 2) keep them in good condition, and 3) only remove asbestos as needed during maintenance or renovation projects. This is in line with the “in-place” asbestos management approach used by most colleges and universities today due to the exorbitant costs of asbestos removal.
Unfortunately, this plan does not adequately protect students and faculty from breathing in or swallowing asbestos particles on campus at U-M. People who attend class or work in University of Michigan buildings that contain asbestos could be at risk of related illnesses and diseases in the future from their time spent in these dangerous environments. While it may take many decades for mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses to appear, victims can be eligible for financial compensation for their time spent at this university.
Your Rights as a Victim of Mesothelioma From U-M
If an investigation traces your asbestos-related illness back to exposure to asbestos at the University of Michigan, the university, a product manufacturer or a combination of parties could be held financially responsible. Victims who are diagnosed with mesothelioma and related diseases due to preventable asbestos exposure can seek compensation through one or more legal remedies.
Your legal options may include:
- Personal injury lawsuit – if you or your lawyer can prove that U-M or another party was negligent in failing to protect you from asbestos, you may have grounds to file a personal injury lawsuit in pursuit of financial damages.
- Wrongful death lawsuit – negligence may also entitle you to file a wrongful death lawsuit if someone you love was a student or staff member at UMich and passed away from lung cancer, mesothelioma or another related illness.
- Workers’ compensation claim – you may be eligible for workers’ comp benefits under Michigan law without having to prove negligence if you were an employee at the University of Michigan when you were exposed to asbestos.
- Asbestos trust fund claim – if the party at fault for your asbestos exposure is a company that has filed for bankruptcy, such as a product manufacturer, you may have grounds to file an asbestos trust fund claim.
You can discuss all of your legal options with an attorney when you contact Bailey & Glasser, LLP about a potential case. An intake specialist will listen to the details of your case while you tell your story. Then, we will carefully analyze your circumstances and provide a rapid follow-up to explain your rights. If we believe you have grounds for a case, we may offer to represent you during a claim or lawsuit for preventable exposure to asbestos at the University of Michigan.
Call (866) 871-7971 to Speak to a Case Intake Specialist Today
If you or a loved one spent time in any of the buildings on the University of Michigan’s campus in Ann Arbor, Michigan and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another disease related to exposure to asbestos, you may be entitled to financial compensation under state law. The attorneys at Bailey & Glasser, LLP can help you through this type of claim with knowledgeable and compassionate legal representation. Contact us today for more information.
