The managers of an apartment complex in southwest Portland, Ore. are facing serious allegations of asbestos contamination and negligence by its employees, alleging the company was aware of the danger.

The claimants in the asbestos lawsuit allege the asbestos contamination in the products exposed them to serious risks, and that the company knew about the danger. According to the asbestos exposure lawsuit, Tandem Property Management officials had warned construction crews of the asbestos contamination but did not disclose this information to their employees.

This asbestos exposure lawsuit was filed by two former Tandem Property employees, alleging they were fired for knowing about this “cover up” impacting the Commons at Sylvan Highlands apartments, according to an article by The Oregonian.

According to the asbestos exposure lawsuit, the asbestos contamination was discovered by crews remodeling five vacant apartment units in May 2018. The company’s president Thomas Clarey was reportedly furious, and had visited the site to explicitly yell that “there was no asbestos and that they all needed to get back to work,” the lawsuit says.

The claim further stated that three workers were fired from the job, allegedly because management thought “they were loose cannons’ that might call the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) about the potential asbestos.”

This asbestos exposure lawsuit states that a new team was assigned to the property in June 2018, who were told to carry debris through the building’s halls and down the elevator. After the new crew discovered the alleged asbestos contamination, a crew member had a sample tested and found it positive for asbestos.

Management then allegedly instructed the crew to remove asbestos contaminated sheetrock without proper protective equipment or training, and did not adhere to state or federal asbestos removal guidelines.

Overview of Asbestos Exposure Risks

There are several major health complications associated with asbestos exposure, including asbestos lung cancer. Asbestos lung cancer kills approximately 6,000 people in the United States per year, and has the highest death toll among asbestos related diseases.

The asbestos contaminated apartment complex is located at 1380 SW 66th Ave., and stretches across multiple buildings. At this time, it is not clear how many people live in this apartment complex or how they may be impacted by the asbestos contamination.

The claimants’ lawyer told The Oregonian that he does not think that residents have been told about the asbestos contamination, and that they are at risk for long term health complications.

Asbestos lung cancer develops when asbestos fibers are inhaled or swallowed, and scar the lungs. This disease can take decades to develop, which often results in late diagnoses and limited treatment options.

People can either be exposed directly to asbestos, or inhale it in a second hand manner in various ways like handling a loved one’s clothing. The risk of asbestos contamination is prevalent in construction and insulation materials, because asbestos was heavily used for its resistance to fire and chemical damage.

Before the 1980s, asbestos was used in almost every industrial application but is now only usable under strict circumstances in the United States. In addition, safety standards dictate that companies, like Tandem Property, must give disclosures of potential asbestos contamination to residents and employees working on a property.

This asbestos exposure lawsuit is seeking $40 million in damages, with Tandem’s president not yet commenting on the situation.