Asbestos Exposure at the Plastic Moldings Corporation in Cincinnati, Ohio
If you or a loved one worked at the Plastic Moldings Corporation (PMC) in Cincinnati, Ohio from the late 1950s to the early 1980s, you were very likely to be exposed to asbestos. Your family members may have also been exposed. You have a right to compensation. To get help now, contact us at Satterley & Kelley, PLLC today.
When inhaled, asbestos fibers can lead to deadly diseases such as mesothelioma and lung cancer. However, because the latency period (time from exposure to diagnosis) is so long, many people struggle to identify where they were exposed. When you contact a personal injury attorney experienced with asbestos litigation, they can help you pinpoint your exposure site.
This guide explains how people were exposed to asbestos at PMC. Then, it outlines what to do if you are diagnosed with mesothelioma.
The History of Plastic Moldings Corporation
In 1929 in Cincinnati, two families launched a plastics molding company focused on precision plastic parts. Nearly a century later, the company is still operating, under the leadership of one of the original founding families, but over the years, it’s gone through several name changes.
Before 2000, it was called the Plastic Moldings Corporation. It has since changed its name to the Plastic Moldings Company, LLC. It also has an arm called PMC SMART Solutions, which primarily focuses on marketing and public relations.
Plastic Moldings Corporation and Mesothelioma (Podcast)
Listen to our conversation with attorney Paul Kelley about mesothelioma at Plastic Moldings Corporation:
Asbestos at PMC in Cincinnati
From the late 1950s to about 1980 or possibly a couple of years later, PMC used phenolic molding compounds that contained asbestos. Over this 20 to 25-year time frame, PMC received millions of pounds of molding compounds containing chrysotile asbestos and crocidolite asbestos, and PMC employees were exposed to the asbestos in these compounds in numerous ways.
(image of asbestos fibers. Photo by Aram Dulyan, username:Aramgutang)
The molding compounds arrived in 55-gallon barrels and then they were transferred into 50-pound bags. Workers poured the bags into hoppers where they were formed into pucks. Then, employees put the pucks into molding machines that turned them into parts.
Plastic Moldings Corporation made a huge variety of plastic parts ranging from panel boxes and automotive parts to cupholders, dishes, and household appliances. When the parts came out of the molds, they often had to be shaved down or ground to remove imperfections.
Everyone involved in this process was exposed to asbestos. That includes the people who brought the molding compounds into the facility, the people who poured it into the hoppers, the people who dealt with the pucks, and the people who finished the molded parts. It also included machine operators, maintenance crews, and electricians.
The work was extremely dusty. As a result, anyone who passed through the production area was likely to be exposed. This includes administrators or managers and the people who cleaned up the dust using brooms and compressed air.
Secondary Asbestos Exposure From PMC
Because the work area at PMC was so dusty, employees regularly went home with their clothes covered in dust that contained asbestos fibers. PMC did not have any safety rules or processes to prevent the asbestos fibers from leaving the factory.
When employees arrived home from work, their children inhaled the fibers when they hugged them, and anyone who dealt with their laundry was also exposed. Secondary exposure to asbestos can also lead to deadly diseases such as mesothelioma and lung cancer.
Statute of Limitations in Ohio
In Ohio, you have two years to bring forward a lawsuit. That means you should contact an attorney as quickly as possible after your diagnosis. An attorney can focus on getting you legal justice and financial compensation. Then, you can focus on obtaining medical care and safeguarding the quality of your life as much as possible.
Get Help If You’ve Been Exposed to Asbestos
The employees of PMC didn’t realize that they were being exposed to asbestos. Their union leaders weren’t aware of the risks and neither were their families. However, the corporation and the suppliers of the phenolic molding compounds were aware that asbestos was present. They also knew about the risks — the risks of primary and secondary exposure were well established by this time frame.
If you or a loved one has developed cancer as a result of exposure through PMC, you should consult with an attorney about your rights. To improve the strength of your case, you should work with a personal injury attorney who has experience with asbestos litigation. They can help you figure out where you were exposed, and if they’ve handled lawsuits related to that exposure site, they will have a leg up on the research process.
At Satterley & Kelley, PLLC, we have over 30 years of collective experience dealing with asbestos litigation, and we have worked with many different exposure sites throughout Kentucky, Ohio, and the surrounding states. Don’t wait — contact us today.