Oxnard’s early years in the 1800s carved out the city’s reputation for agriculture, but the construction of the Southern Pacific Railroad quickly created the demand for factories in the late 1800s. By 1903, the time of Oxnard’s official incorporation, the town had a railroad factory as well as a sugar beet factory, and the coming decades would see Oxnard’s surrounding area at Port Hueneme and Point Mugu serve as military bases during World War II.

Today, Oxnard has grown into the largest city in Ventura County thanks to these industrial developments, as more than 200,000 residents now call Oxnard home. Even so, these industrial developments throughout the 20th century also exposed Oxnard workers and their family members to asbestos.

Why Is Asbestos Exposure Dangerous?

Asbestos was a substance commonly found in materials used for industrial and construction purposes during the 1900s for its strength, durability and resistant properties. Unfortunately, asbestos is also made up of tiny fibers that are easily inhaled or swallowed by workers at jobsites where asbestos is used.

Once inhaled or swallowed, asbestos can cause:

• Mesothelioma
• Asbestosis
• Asbestos-related lung cancer

Mesothelioma is the most common disease caused by asbestos exposure, and this serious disease can have a long latency period ranging from 10 to 40 years. As such, workers exposed to asbestos decades ago may still be at risk for mesothelioma or may have been recently diagnosed with the deadly disease.

Military veterans have also suffered greatly from asbestos exposure since military bases and shipyards during World War II and the decades that followed regularly used asbestos. Given Oxnard’s history during World War II it is likely that veterans serving at an Oxnard base were exposed to the harms of asbestos.

The majority of Californians exposed to the harms of asbestos have been workers at jobsites, as revealed by a report from the California Department of Public Health that revealed more than 350 workers are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year and around 200 diagnosed workers pass away from asbestos-related illnesses annually.

Asbestos Exposure in Oxnard

Ventura County suffered from an estimated 515 asbestos-related deaths from 1999 to 2013. As the largest county in Oxnard with numerous jobsites that exposed workers to asbestos, Oxnard has assuredly suffered from its share of asbestos-related illnesses and deaths.

Known jobsites that exposed Oxnard workers and loved ones to asbestos include:

• A. Johnson & Company
• Diamond Shamrock Chemical
• Nabisco
• Oxnard Electric Light Company
• Proctor and Gamble Paper Products
• Southern California-Edison Street Plant
• Ventura County Electric Company

Talk to an Oxnard Mesothelioma Lawyer

California law lets workers who were victims of a wrongful asbestos exposure to pursue legal compensation for a mesothelioma diagnosis. Additionally, loved ones who were exposed to asbestos by a worker who brought asbestos home are also allowed to pursue legal compensation under California law.

The Ledger Law Firm represents these victims of wrongful asbestos exposure by building a case that shows an asbestos-related illness was caused by responsible parties who exposed the victims to asbestos.

Contact us today to hold all responsible parties accountable and take the steps needed to receive the compensation you both need and deserve.