Town of Westover Hills Toxic Exposure and Industrial Injury Advocates: Holding Corporations Accountable for Your Health

You didn’t know. For twenty years, thirty years, or even longer, you went to work in the industrial and defense corridors surrounding the Town of Westover Hills, did your job with pride, and came home to your family. Nobody told you that the dust you breathed at the assembly plant, the solvents you handled in the hangar, or the insulation you saw in every building would one day try to kill you. You may have spent a career at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth or worked the lines at the Lockheed Martin facility just outside our Town of Westover Hills borders. To the corporations that profited from your labor, you were a line item. To us, you are a neighbor whose trust was betrayed.

The cough started six months ago. Then came the shortness of breath. Then the doctor said a word you’d only heard in medical journals or on the news: mesothelioma. Or perhaps it was acute myeloid leukemia (AML) after years of handling degreasers and jet fuels. Suddenly, everything you thought you knew about your years as a dedicated worker in Tarrant County changed forever. There is a word for what happened to you. It isn’t “bad luck.” It isn’t purely “aging.” It is exposure. And when exposure is the result of a corporation knowing a substance was deadly and choosing to hide that fact for decades, it is a crime of negligence.

We are Attorney 911. Our team, led by founding attorney Ralph Manginello and backed by the insider perspective of former insurance defense attorney Lupe Peña, exists for one reason: to make the companies that poisoned you pay for what they’ve done. Ralph brings over 27 years of experience and a track record that includes being part of the litigation team in the $2.1 billion BP Texas City Refinery explosion case. We don’t just “handle” toxic exposure cases; we litigate them in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas and across the federal and state courts of Tarrant County. From our principal office in Houston and our dedicated presence serving the Town of Westover Hills community, we fight for the maximum compensation available through every possible pathway—from multi-billion dollar asbestos trust funds to personal injury lawsuits against still-solvent corporate giants. If you or a loved one in the Town of Westover Hills area is suffering, your fight starts with one call to 1-888-ATTY-911.

The Attorney 911 Insider Advantage: Why the Town of Westover Hills Community Trusts Us

Toxic exposure litigation is not like a typical car accident claim. In Town of Westover Hills, victims of these diseases are going up against multi-billion dollar defense contracts, international petrochemical firms, and legacy manufacturing corporations that have spent 50 years perfecting the art of denying responsibility. Most law firms treat these cases like a volume business, signing up thousands of clients and referring them out to “settlement mills.”

At The Manginello Law Firm, we take the opposite approach. We provide the aggressive, specialized representation that lives up to our “911” name. When you call our firm, you aren’t talking to a call center; you are reaching a team that understands the specific industrial geography of Tarrant County and the Town of Westover Hills region.

Ralph Manginello: 27 Years of Trial-Ready Advocacy

Our founder, Ralph Manginello, has spent nearly three decades in the trenches of high-stakes litigation. Admitted to practice in the Southern District of Texas and the state bars of Texas and New York, Ralph has built a career on taking on the companies that think they are untouchable. His experience in the BP Texas City Refinery litigation—one of the largest and most complex industrial disasters in American history—gave him a front-row seat to how massive corporations manage mass-casualty and mass-exposure events. He brings that same “beast” mentality described by our clients in our 272+ 4.9-star Google reviews to every Town of Westover Hills case.

Lupe Peña: The Former Insider Who Switched Sides

Every corporate defendant has a playbook. They have specific strategies to delay your case, hide their internal memos, and blame your symptoms on your “lifestyle” or other “alternative causes.” Lupe Peña knows this playbook because he used to help write it. Before joining Attorney 911 to fight for the people of the Town of Westover Hills, Lupe was an insurance defense attorney. He saw firsthand how large insurance carriers and corporate legal teams internally value and minimize injury claims.

This insider knowledge is our nuclear differentiator. When a defendant tries to use a “Statute of Repose” argument to kill a Town of Westover Hills claim, or attempts to exclude our medical experts, Lupe identifies the move before they even make it. This “switched sides” advantage has helped us recover millions for our clients. As Lupe often says, “Having fought FOR the corporations, I know exactly where their armor is weakest.”

The Cellular Science of Why You’re Sick: Education is the First Step to Justice

Most Town of Westover Hills residents diagnosed with an occupational disease are initially confused. How could something I touched 30 years ago make me sick today? Our firm believes that education is the first step toward conversion—the moment you realize you aren’t just a patient, but a victim with legal rights. We provide the scientific depth that other firms gloss over.

The Mechanism of Mesothelioma: Frustrated Phagocytosis

Asbestos is not a single mineral; it is a group of silicate fibers that are small enough to be inhaled but too durable to be destroyed. When workers at sites near Town of Westover Hills—such as the old Carswell AFB or historical construction projects in Tarrant County—inhaled these fibers, the biological clock began ticking.

Once inhaled, asbestos fibers migrate to the pleura, the thin lining around your lungs. Your body’s immune system sends macrophages (white blood cells) to engulf and destroy these foreign Invaders. However, asbestos fibers—especially the needle-like amphibole varieties—are “biopersistent.” Because they are too long for the macrophages to swallow, the cells undergo what’s known as “frustrated phagocytosis.”

The macrophages die in the attempt, releasing a cascade of inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β) and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Over 15 to 50 years, this chronic inflammation creates a toxic microenvironment that damages the DNA of your mesothelial cells, leading to the inactivation of tumor suppressor genes like BAP1 and p16. The result is the malignant transformation we call mesothelioma. If you were exposed in the Town of Westover Hills area decades ago, these fibers are likely still in your tissue today.

The Benzene Pathway: Rewriting Your Blood

Benzene is an essential component of jet fuels and industrial solvents used heavily in the aerospace corridor surrounding Town of Westover Hills. In the liver, the enzyme CYP2E1 metabolizes benzene into benzene oxide, which then creates a devastating metabolite called muconaldehyde.

Muconaldehyde is a genotoxic compound that specifically targets the bone marrow stem cells. It causes specific chromosomal translocations—pathognomonic biomarkers that we use in court to prove that your Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) was caused by work exposure and not “genetics.” By the time you are diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) or AML, the damage to your bone marrow microenvironment has been evolving for years.

Case Type Tier 1: Mesothelioma and Asbestos Exposure in Tarrant County

Mesothelioma is the anchor of our practice. While some firms view Town of Westover Hills as a residential “safe zone,” we know that the proximity to major military and industrial hubs makes our residents high-risk for latent asbestos disease. There is no such thing as a “safe level” of asbestos exposure.

Recognizing the Symptoms in Town of Westover Hills

Because of the 20-50 year latency period, mesothelioma is often caught too late. We want Town of Westover Hills residents to recognize the early warning signs:

• Pleural Stage: Persistent dry cough, chest pain that worsens with deep breathing, and progressive shortness of breath during activities like walking through the Town of Westover Hills neighborhoods.
• Peritoneal Stage: Abdominal swelling (ascites), unexplained weight loss, and bowel changes.
• Intermediate Progression: Night sweats so severe they soak your sheets, and a “subfebrile” fever (99-100.5°F) that won’t go away.

If you recognize these symptoms and have a history of working at NAS JRB Fort Worth, Lockheed, or in the construction trades, you must tell your physician about your asbestos history. Diagnostic tools like CT-guided needle biopsies and immunohistochemistry staining (looking for markers like Calretinin and WT1) are required for a definitive diagnosis.

Asbestos Bankruptcy Trusts: The $30 Billion Reserve

When companies like Johns-Manville, Owens Corning, and Pittsburgh Corning realized their products were killing people, many filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Part of that process required them to set up trust funds to pay future victims.

Today, there are over 60 active asbestos trusts with roughly $30 billion in assets. Many Town of Westover Hills victims don’t realize they can file claims with MULTIPLE trusts simultaneously—plus pursue a lawsuit against solvent (non-bankrupt) defendants. However, these trusts are depleting. The Manville Trust, for example, has significantly reduced its payment percentage over the years. This creates real urgency. Every month you wait to file your claim from Town of Westover Hills is a month the trust assets dwindle. Call 1-888-ATTY-911 to see how many trusts you qualify for.

Case Type Tier 1: PFAS / “Forever Chemical” Contamination Near Our Community

The Town of Westover Hills is uniquely positioned near one of the most significant sources of PFAS contamination in North Texas: the Naval Air Reserve Base (NAS JRB) Fort Worth. Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF)—the firefighting foam used for decades in military drills and hangar fire suppression—contains per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

How PFAS Attacks the Body

PFAS are called “forever chemicals” because the carbon-fluorine bond is the strongest in organic chemistry. Once they enter the Town of Westover Hills groundwater or your blood serum, they never leave. PFAS molecules bioaccumulate, specifically binding to albumin in your blood and accumulating in the liver and kidneys.

They are known nuclear receptor disruptors. Specifically, they interfere with Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors (PPAR-α and PPAR-γ). This interference upregulates cholesterol synthesis genes and suppresses your immune response, leading to:

• Kidney Cancer and Chronic Kidney Disease: PFAS is directly toxic to the proximal tubule epithelium.
• Testicular Cancer: A established risk for those serving or working on bases like NAS JRB.
• Thyroid Disease: Hypothyroidism caused by PFAS displacing thyroid hormones.
• Ulcerative Colitis and High Cholesterol: Metabolic dysregulation that defies diet and exercise.

If you live in or near Town of Westover Hills and have been diagnosed with these conditions, you may be part of an emerging mass tort against the manufacturers of AFFF, such as 3M and DuPont. 3M recently reached a landmark $12.5 billion settlement regarding water contamination, but individual personal injury claims are still being litigated. Attorney 911 is at the forefront of this fight.

Case Type Tier 1: Benzene and Solvent Exposure in the Aerospace Corridor

If you spent years in the industrial zones of Fort Worth or worked in the hangar facilities surrounding the Town of Westover Hills, you likely handled aircraft degreasers, hydraulic fluids, and high-octane fuels. These substances are often saturated with benzene.

As Ralph Manginello and Lupe Peña can explain, corporations knew of the link between benzene and leukemia since at least the late 1970s. Yet, OSHA’s permissible exposure limit (PEL) remained at 10 ppm for decades—a level we now know is 10 times higher than what is considered “safe.”

If you or your spouse worked as a mechanic, refinery operator, or petroleum inspector and have been diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) or Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS), we take it personally. We reconstruct your work history, using industrial hygiene experts to prove that your exposure exceeded the “safe” threshold the industry claimed to follow. A 2024 Pennsylvania jury recently awarded $725 million against ExxonMobil for a single benzene/AML case. Juries are tired of the lies, and so are we.

Case Type Tier 1: Construction Accidents and Scaffold Falls in Town of Westover Hills

The Town of Westover Hills is an area of prestigious residential properties and ongoing elite development. Where there is high-end construction, there are high-risk situations for tradespeople. We represent the ironworkers, electricians, and laborers who keep our community beautiful but are often neglected by safety managers.

Beyond Workers’ Comp: The Third-Party Claim

In Texas, your employer might tell you that workers’ compensation is your “exclusive remedy.” This is one of the biggest lies in the legal industry. While you may be barred from suing your direct employer, you are NOT barred from filing a third-party liability claim against:

• The General Contractor: If they failed to coordinate site safety.
• The Property Owner: For dangerous premises conditions.
• The Equipment Manufacturer: If a scaffold buckle failed or a harness was defective.
• Subcontractors: If another trade’s negligence caused your fall.

A third-party claim in Tarrant County has NO cap on damages for pain and suffering or mental anguish—unlike the restrictive limits of workers’ comp. If you’ve suffered a spinal cord injury or a traumatic brain injury on a Town of Westover Hills job site, you need more than a weekly comp check. You need the millions of dollars required for a lifetime of care.

Bridge Content: The Intersection of Industry and Exposure for Town of Westover Hills Workers

Most “specialist” firms only understand one thing. We understand the whole person. In the Town of Westover Hills area, your career likely involved multiple risks that now create synergistic health problems.

The Shipyard and Navy Veteran Bridge

Many of our neighbors in the Town of Westover Hills are retired Navy veterans or former civilian shipyard workers from the Gulf Coast. Ships built before 1980 were floating asbestos traps—insulation, gaskets, and engine room lagging were all packed with fibers.

If a veteran from Town of Westover Hills is diagnosed with mesothelioma, they often have THREE simultaneous recovery paths:

1. VA Disability Benefits: Under the PACT Act, we help you secure service-connected compensation.
2. Asbestos Trust Fund Claims: Filed against the manufacturers of the insulation and equipment on your ship.
3. Personal Injury Lawsuit: Against non-bankrupt contractors or premises owners.

We coordinate these claims so they don’t offset each other, maximizing the total cash in your pocket. As Ralph Manginello explains in this video about million-dollar cases, these multi-pathway strategies are how we build seven-figure results.

The Refinery and Industrial Bridge

A worker at a Tarrant County industrial facility may have been exposed to asbestos insulation AND benzene solvents simultaneously. This “double-hit” to the body means you are fighting on two fronts. We identify both mechanisms, ensuring that the refinery owner and the chemical manufacturer are both held responsible. Ralph’s experience in the BP Texas City litigation provided him with the blueprint for how to untangle these multi-defendant exposure webs.

Corporate Concealment: The “Hidden Files” That Power Your Case

The anger you feel is justified. These companies didn’t just make a mistake; they made a calculation.

The Sumner Simpson Letters (1935)

In 1935, the president of Raybestos-Manhattan wrote to the VP of Johns-Manville about suppressing a study showing asbestos caused lung disease. The response was haunting: “The less said about asbestos, the better off we are.” For the next 40 years, the industry conspired to keep the truth from workers for the sake of quarterly profits.

The Monsanto Papers

Monsanto’s own toxicologists expressed concern about Roundup’s carcinogenicity. Internal emails revealed that the company “ghostwrote” scientific papers to make glyphosate appear safe and then paid academics to put their names on them. These documents have led to billions of dollars in verdicts for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) victims across the United States.

The 3M PFAS Memos

3M’s internal blood studies from the 1970s showed that PFAS bioaccumulated in workers and caused liver damage in animals. They didn’t tell the EPA until decades later. When we litigate your case in Tarrant County, we bring these documents into the courtroom. We don’t just say they were negligent; we show the jury the exact moment they chose money over your life.

Evidence Preservation: Protect Your Case Before the Evidence Vanishes

In Town of Westover Hills, time is your greatest enemy. In toxic exposure cases, “spoliation”—the destruction of evidence—is a standard corporate defense tactic. Within 14 days of you calling 1-888-ATTY-911, Attorney 911 initiates an aggressive preservation protocol:

1. Work History Reconstruction: We interview your crewmates and union locals to identify exactly which products was used on which job site in 1975 or 1985.
2. Occupational Health Subpoenas: We move to secure your employer’s OSHA 300 logs and industrial hygiene air sampling reports before they are “purged” according to corporate retention schedules.
3. Spoliation Demands: We send formal legal notices to the aerospace and manufacturing giants near Town of Westover Hills, warning them that destroying hangar records or equipment maintenance logs will result in severe court sanctions.
4. Expert Retention: We book the nation’s top B-Readers (radiologists specialized in asbestos) and hematologic oncologists before the defense firms can put them on retainer.

As Ralph explains in our guide to documenting your case, the photos and notes you take today are the evidence that wins your case three years from now.

Compensation Pathways: Understanding the Value of Your Town of Westover Hills Claim

What is your case worth? It is the most common question in our 272+ Google reviews. While every case is unique and past results do not guarantee future outcomes, the ranges in toxic exposure and industrial injury law are significant:

At Attorney 911, we pursue “Full Recovery Stacking.” Why settle for just a workers’ comp check when you could also be receiving payments from ten different asbestos trusts and a third-party negligence settlement? Other firms leave money on the table because they don’t know all the tables exist. We do.

The Corporate Defense Playbook: Lupe Peña Exposes Their Tactics

When you file a claim from Town of Westover Hills, the corporation won’t just write a check. They will use the “Insurance Defense Playbook” that Lupe Peña knows so well:

• “The Identification Defense”: They will claim you can’t prove their specific fiber or their specific solvent caused your cancer among all the others you encountered. Our Counter: We use the “Substantial Factor” test to prove their product contributed to your cumulative toxic dose.
• “The Lifestyle Defense”: Since many Town of Westover Hills residents worked in industrial settings, companies will try to blame smoking for your lung condition. Our Counter: Smoking does not cause mesothelioma. For lung cancer, asbestos and smoking have a “synergistic” effect (50x risk multiplier)—meaning the asbestos company owes MORE because their product made a common habit deadly.
• “The Statute of Repose”: They will argue that because the exposure happened 30 years ago, it’s too late. Our Counter: Texas follows the Discovery Rule. Your clock doesn’t start until you diagnosed or knew the cause.

Watch Lupe Peña and Ralph Manginello discuss deposition traps and how to protect yourself when the defense lawyers come knocking.

Serving the Town of Westover Hills Community: Local Resources for Your Fight

If you are dealing with a toxic exposure diagnosis, you need more than a lawyer; you need a medical and support network. We are proud of our deep roots in Tarrant County.

Leading Medical & Treatment Centers

• UT Southwestern Medical Center (Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center): Just a short drive from Town of Westover Hills in Dallas, this NCI-designated center is a leader in thoracic oncology and leukemia research.
• MD Anderson Cancer Center: Located in Houston, MD Anderson is the #1 ranked cancer center in the world. Many of our Town of Westover Hills clients travel here for specialized mesothelioma surgery (EPP/PD).
• Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center: For our veterans in the Town of Westover Hills region, this facility has some of the best occupational exposure and PACT Act screening programs in the South.
• Texas Oncology – Fort Worth: Providing high-level local chemotherapy and radiation treatment right here in Tarrant County.

Educational & Support Groups

• The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation: Access to clinical trials and peer mentors.
• The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS): Excellent for Fort Worth residents dealing with AML or MDS.
• Cancer Support Community North Texas: Providing emotional support for victims and their families.

FAQ: Your Questions Answered by the Attorney 911 Team

I was exposed at NAS JRB Fort Worth 40 years ago. Is it too late to sue?

No. In Texas, the statute of limitations for mesothelioma and other latent diseases generally follows the “discovery rule.” Your two-year window to file usually begins when you were diagnosed or when a doctor suggested a link between your work and your illness—not when you were first exposed. Don’t assume you’re too late. Let our team at 1-888-ATTY-911 run a free deadline analysis for you.

What if the company I worked for in Tarrant County is bankrupt?

This is why asbestos bankruptcy trusts exist. Even if the original company is gone, they were forced to set aside billions of dollars into trusts like the Manville Trust or the USG Trust to pay workers like you. We can help you identify every trust you qualify for.

Will filing a toxic exposure claim affect my Social Security or VA benefits?

Generally, no. Personal injury settlements and trust fund payments are secondary to your federal benefits. In many cases, these pathways are entirely independent. As Ralph Manginello explains in this podcast episode on case types, we strive to ensure your legal recovery is additive to your life, not subtractive.

What is the PFAS risk for Town of Westover Hills residents?

The main risk is groundwater contamination from historical AFFF use at nearby bases. If you have used private wells or if local municipal water has tested high for PFAS, and you have a matching cancer diagnosis (kidney, testicular, etc.), you may have a significant claim. We are currently evaluating Town of Westover Hills area cases for the PFAS mass tort.

How much do you charge for a toxic exposure case?

We work on a 100% contingency fee basis. This means we advance all the costs of the litigation—the $500/hour expert witnesses, the medical record fees, the filing costs—at our own risk. You pay us NOTHING unless and until we win money for you. There is zero risk for Town of Westover Hills families to get started.

I’m an undocumented worker injured in Town of Westover Hills. Do I have rights?

Yes. Your immigration status has NO bearing on your right to a safe workplace or your right to compensation for toxic exposure. Federal law protects all workers. Hablamos Español. Our associate attorney Lupe Peña and our lead case manager Leonor (praised in our reviews for treat clients like family) are here to protect you. Hear our 4-part series on immigrant rights for more information.

What were the first signs of mesothelioma for your other clients?

Most described it as a “dry, nagging cough” or “feeling winded” while doing simple yard work in Town of Westover Hills. Others noticed a dull ache in their side. Because these mimic common ailments, many were misdiagnosed for months. If you have these signs and a history of industrial work, see a specialist immediately.

Who will actually handle my case in Town of Westover Hills?

Unlike the “billboard lawyers” you see on TV, Ralph Manginello and Lupe Peña are personally involved in our cases. You won’t be handed off to a processing center. Ralph even gives his personal cell phone number to many clients. As several Google reviews state, “The communication truly made a difference” and “Ralph reached out personally.”

Can I sue for “take-home” asbestos exposure?

Yes. If your spouse or parent worked in a Tarrant County industrial site and brought fibers home on their clothes, and you were subsequently diagnosed with mesothelioma, you have a valid “secondary exposure” claim. The company that failed to provide laundry facilities or showers at the plant failed you too.

How long does a toxic exposure case from Town of Westover Hills take?

Settlements from bankruptcy trusts can often be secured within 90 days to 6 months. A full-scale lawsuit against a solvent defendant may take 12 to 24 months. If a Town of Westover Hills client is terminally ill, we can file for an “expedited docket,” significantly speeding up the trial date.

Attorney 911: Your Team in the Fight Against Corporate Negligence

The corporations that poisoned workers surrounding the Town of Westover Hills have armies of lawyers. They have lobbyists in Austin and Washington. They have insurance teams designed to pay you as little as possible. You need someone who has been inside their tents and isn’t afraid to tear them down.

Ralph Manginello and Lupe Peña bring a combined force of trial experience and defense-side intelligence that no other firm can replicate. We’ve seen the damage these substances do to the human body at the cellular level, and we’ve seen the devastation they cause for Tarrant County families. We are not just your lawyers; we are your advocates in a system that was designed to silence you.

Don’t let the trust fund money run dry. Don’t let the evidence be destroyed. Don’t face a mesothelioma or leukemia diagnosis alone. We maintain a 4.9-star rating across 272 reviews because we treat our clients’ legal emergencies like our own.

Call 1-888-ATTY-911 or (888) 288-9911 today for a free, no-obligation case evaluation. Hablamos Español. We serve the Town of Westover Hills from our principal office in Houston and our local presence throughout the state. Because the companies that knew and the companies that hid it shouldn’t get away with it.

This information is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical or legal advice. Every case is unique. Past results and industry averages mentioned do not guarantee a specific outcome in your case. Results vary based on individual circumstances. Principal office: Houston, Texas.