City of Palacios Toxic Exposure and Industrial Injury Advocacy: Holding Corporations Accountable for Matagorda County Workers and Families

For generations, the people of the City of Palacios have looked out over Matagorda Bay as a source of life, industry, and pride. Whether you were working the shrimp boats at the Port of Palacios, maintaining the massive infrastructure at the South Texas Project nearby, or commuting just down Highway 35 to the Formosa Plastics complex in Point Comfort, you did the hard work that fuels the Texas Gulf Coast economy. You traded your sweat and your time to provide for your family. What you never agreed to trade was your health. You never agreed to breathe in microscopic asbestos fibers while lagging steam lines, or to absorb vinyl chloride monomer into your bloodstream while working process units, or to drink water contaminated by “forever chemicals” at a nearby military installation.

At Attorney 911, we know that for many workers in the City of Palacios and Matagorda County, the betrayal didn’t happen in an instant. It happened over decades. It happened in the quiet spaces between shifts, as toxic substances like benzene and crystalline silica began a microscopic war against your cells—a war that often stays hidden for 15, 30, or even 50 years. This long silence is exactly what massive corporations like ExxonMobil, Shell, and Formosa Plastics count on. They hope that by the time you are diagnosed with mesothelioma, acute myeloid leukemia (AML), or stage IV lung cancer, you will have forgotten the dusty shipyards or the unventilated chemical bays where the damage was done. They hope you’ll blame your age, your lifestyle, or simply “bad luck.”

We are here to tell you that it wasn’t bad luck. It was exposure. And you have rights that the corporate defense teams are desperate to keep hidden. Led by Ralph Manginello, a trial attorney with over 27 years of experience who was part of the landmark litigation following the BP Texas City Refinery explosion, our firm specializes in unmasking corporate negligence. We are joined by Lupe Peña, a former insurance defense attorney who spent years inside the very machine that fights to deny claims for Matagorda County families. Lupe knows the playbook the other side uses because he helped write it—and now, he uses that insider intelligence to tear it apart.

If you or a loved one in the City of Palacios has been diagnosed with a life-altering illness after working in the refineries, shipyards, nuclear facilities, or agricultural fields of the Texas Gulf Coast, you aren’t just a patient. You are a victim of a system that prioritized quarterly profits over human lives. Whether you are seeking a mesothelioma settlement, filing an asbestos trust fund claim, or pursuing a Jones Act lawsuit for offshore injuries, the clock is already ticking. Trust fund assets are depleting, evidence is being destroyed, and statutes of limitations are closing. Call us today at 1-888-ATTY-911 for a free, confidential evaluation of your case.

The Microscopic Betrayal: How Asbestos and Mesothelioma Destroy Lives in the City of Palacios

To understand your legal claim, you must first understand the biological mechanism of the harm done to you. Asbestos is not a single mineral; it is a group of six naturally occurring silicate minerals that form thin, needle-like fibers. In industrial settings like the shipyards around Matagorda Bay or the power plants in Wadsworth, asbestos was used for decades because it was cheap and nearly indestructible by heat or chemicals. But that indestructibility is exactly why it is so lethal to the human body.

When a worker in the City of Palacios cuts into Kaylo pipe insulation or handles old Transite panels, millions of microscopic asbestos fibers—some as small as 0.5 microns—become aerosolized. Once inhaled, these fibers bypass the body’s natural filtration systems in the nose and throat, traveling deep into the alveolar regions of the lungs. Because of their unique physical structure, they don’t stop there. They penetrate through the lung tissue and lodge in the mesothelium—the thin membrane that lines your chest cavity (pleura) or abdominal cavity (peritoneum).

Once embedded in the mesothelium, the fibers trigger a process the medical community calls “frustrated phagocytosis.” Your body’s immune cells, known as macrophages, recognize the fibers as foreign invaders and attempt to engulf and destroy them. However, the asbestos fibers are too long and too sharp for the macrophages to digest. The macrophages die in the attempt, releasing a cascade of inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-alpha and IL-1beta, along with reactive oxygen species (ROS). This creates a localized environment of chronic, permanent inflammation that lasts for decades.

Over 15 to 50 years, this constant inflammatory stress causes repeated DNA damage and disrupts the natural “suicide” switch of your cells (apoptosis). Crucial tumor suppressor genes, such as BAP1 and p16/CDKN2A, are inactivated. Eventually, a single mesothelial cell undergoes a malignant transformation, beginning the aggressive and rapid spread of mesothelioma. By the time a patient in the City of Palacios feels the first symptoms—progressive shortness of breath or persistent chest wall pain—the cancer has often already reached an advanced stage.

Attorney Ralph Manginello explains the high stakes of these cases and what qualifies as a high-value claim on the Attorney 911 YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d690a218. According to the National Cancer Institute, mesothelioma is a rare but nearly always fatal disease with a median survival rate of 12 to 21 months, though aggressive multi-modal therapy can help some patients. For more detailed information on the health risks of asbestos, visit the NCI’s dedicated resource page: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/asbestos/asbestos-fact-sheet.

Recognizing the Symptoms and the Exposure Clocks

For many retirees in the City of Palacios, the signs of asbestos-related disease are often mistaken for the general “aches and pains” of aging. We urge you to look for the following recognition triggers:

1. Pleural Mesothelioma: Persistent dry cough, unexplained weight loss, shortness of breath even while resting, and sharp chest pain that worsens when you take a deep breath.
2. Asbestosis: A “crackling” sound in the lungs when you breathe (often called “velcro rales”), clubbing of the fingertips, and a progressive inability to perform physical tasks you once found easy.
3. Peritoneal Mesothelioma: Swelling and pain in the abdomen, nausea, and changes in bowel habits.

In Texas, the “Discovery Rule” is the most important legal protection for toxic exposure victims. Because of the long latency period, the law generally recognizes that your two-year statute of limitations does not begin at the moment of exposure in 1975 or 1985—it begins when you knew, or reasonably should have known, that you were sick and that your illness was caused by asbestos. This means that even if you haven’t worked in an industrial plant for 30 years, your right to file a claim in Matagorda County remains active. However, once a diagnosis is made, the clock moves fast. Ralph Manginello discusses the critical nature of legal deadlines in this podcast episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/bddc1426.

The Formosa Point Comfort Connection: Vinyl Chloride and Hepatic Angiosarcoma

For many residents of the City of Palacios, the massive Formosa Plastics complex in Point Comfort is a major source of employment. However, this facility and others like it along the Gulf Coast process massive quantities of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), the primary feedstock for PVC plastic. Vinyl chloride is one of the few chemicals so dangerous that it is linked to a pathognomonic cancer—meaning if you have this specific disease, it is almost certain it was caused by vinyl chloride.

That disease is hepatic angiosarcoma, a rare and extremely aggressive cancer of the blood vessels in the liver. When VCM is inhaled or absorbed through the skin, it is metabolized in the liver by the enzyme CYP2E1 into highly reactive chloroethylene oxide. This metabolite binds directly to your DNA, forming “etheno-adducts” that cause mutations in the p53 and RAS genes. Over time, these mutations trigger the rapid growth of malignant vascular tumors.

If you worked as a process operator, tank cleaner, or maintenance mechanic near Point Comfort and have been diagnosed with liver cancer or “vinyl chloride disease” (characterized by bone loss in the fingertips, known as acroosteology), you have an immediate and powerful claim. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies vinyl chloride as a Group 1 known human carcinogen. https://monographs.iarc.who.int/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/mono100F-31.pdf.

Our firm’s experience with Gulf Coast industrial giants like ExxonMobil and BP gives us a strategic advantage in these cases. We understand the specific process units where leaks are common and the proprietary “safety” studies these companies use to hide the truth from their workers. As Chad Harris noted in his verified Google review: “A true PITT BULL and fighter. He don’t play!… Unlike some law firms where you are dealing with an answering service… Atty. Manginello and I had DIRECT COMMUNICATION.”

Port of Palacios and Matagorda Bay: Jones Act and Maritime Worker Rights

The City of Palacios is the “Shrimp Capital of Texas,” and our harbor is one of the busiest on the Gulf Coast. If you work on a shrimp boat, a commercial fishing vessel, a tug, or a barge in Matagorda Bay, you are not covered by standard Texas workers’ compensation. Instead, you are protected by the Jones Act (46 U.S.C. § 30104).

The Jones Act is a powerful federal law that allows seamen to sue their employers for negligence. Unlike workers’ comp, where you are limited to a small percentage of your wages, a Jones Act claim allows you to recover for:

• Full past and future lost wages.
• Pain and suffering (non-economic damages).
• Mental anguish and loss of enjoyment of life.
• The cost of lifetime medical care.

To qualify for seaman status, you must generally spend at least 30% of your working time in the service of a vessel in navigation. Many boat owners in Matagorda County will try to tell you that you are just a “day laborer” to avoid paying your maintenance and cure—the daily stipend and medical coverage every injured seaman is entitled to, regardless of who was at fault.

We see a high volume of maritime injuries involving winch failures, slip and falls on oily decks, and toxic chemical exposure from bunkering operations. Ralph Manginello provides a comprehensive guide to these rights in “The Ultimate Guide to Offshore Accidents” on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vd_HVPtPf4. OSHA also maintains strict standards for maritime safety that many local operators ignore: https://www.osha.gov/maritime.

South Texas Project and Radiation: Protecting Matagorda’s Nuclear Workforce

Living and working in the City of Palacios often means being part of the workforce at the South Texas Project (STP) Electric Generating Station. While STP is a vital part of the regional economy, nuclear power generation involves the inherent risk of ionizing radiation exposure. For workers who spent years in the reactor containment areas or handling radioactive waste, the risks of leukemia, multiple myeloma, and thyroid cancer are real.

Ionizing radiation causes direct “double-strand breaks” in your DNA. While your cells have specialized proteins to repair these breaks, a “miss-repair” can lead to chromosomal translocations—literally swapping pieces of your genetic code—which is the hallmark of radiation-induced cancer. The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) and the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA) were designed to provide federal funds for these victims, but navigating the bureaucracy is a nightmare without legal help.

If you worked at STP or a similar facility and are now facing a cancer diagnosis, you may be eligible for statutory lump-sum payments of $150,000 to $400,000+, in addition to medical benefits. Learn more about the federal RECA program at the Department of Justice website: https://www.justice.gov/civil/common/reca.

The Insider Advantage: Why Lupe Peña and Ralph Manginello Are the Defense’s Worst Nightmare

When you file a lawsuit against a company like ExxonMobil or a massive insurer, you aren’t just fighting a company; you are fighting a system. Corporate defense firms are designed to “paper” you to death. They will file dozens of motions to delay your trial, hoping your health fails before you can testify. They will scour your medical records for “pre-existing conditions,” trying to blame your mesothelioma on a one-week smoking habit you had in college.

This is where Lupe Peña gives Matagorda County families an unfair advantage. Lupe spent years working for a national defense firm, where he was trained to identify the “weak spots” in a plaintiff’s case. He knows exactly how insurance adjusters value a claim, and he knows the triggers that make them settle for the maximum amount. When the other side tries a tactic to minimize your suffering, Lupe sees it coming weeks in advance. He has switched sides because he saw the human cost of corporate greed, and now he brings that internal playbook to you.

Ralph Manginello’s experience in the BP Texas City Refinery explosion litigation ($2.1 billion total case) is another nuclear option for our clients. Ralph has seen firsthand how a multi-national corporation can ignore hundreds of safety warnings in the name of cost-cutting. He has looked their executives in the eye and held them accountable in federal court. When you hire Attorney 911, you aren’t getting a law firm that settles for the first low-ball offer. You are getting a team that prepares every case as if it’s going to a jury in the Southern District of Texas.

You can see the results of this personal attention in our client stories. Stephanie Hernandez shared in her Google review: “When I felt I had no hope or direction, Leonor reached out… She took all the weight of my worries off my shoulders… they just really made me feel like I mattered throughout the entire process.” Unlike mass-tort “factories” that treat you like a file number, Ralph Manginello gives clients his personal attention. Hear about our firm’s team-based approach in this podcast episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/995adcb8.

The Dual-Axis Recovery Strategy: Why One Claim Is Rarely Enough

Most generalist law firms in the City of Palacios will look at a sick worker and see one claim—perhaps a workers’ compensation filing. At Attorney 911, we look at the whole history. A single pipefitter who worked at the Houston Ship Channel and later at the South Texas Project might have:

1. Multiple Asbestos Trust Fund Claims: Filing with 5 to 10 separate bankrupt manufacturers simultaneously.
2. A Solvent Personal Injury Lawsuit: Suing the current manufacturers of equipment like pumps and valves that are still in business.
3. Third-Party Premises Liability: Suing the facility owner (if they are not your direct employer) for failing to warn you of known hazards.
4. Social Security Disability (SSDI): Helping you secure federal benefits while your civil cases proceed.
5. Workers’ Compensation: In Texas, if your employer is a “subscriber,” you can receive these immediate medical benefits while we pursue the larger “third-party” lawsuits.

By pursuing all these pathways at once, we maximize the “recovery stack.” In many mesothelioma cases, the combined value of these claims often exceeds $1 million to $2 million, providing the financial security your family needs for the future. Ralph Manginello discusses how these values are calculated in “What is Your Case Worth?”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=napfCFm5uoQ.

Pre-1980 Construction and Secondary Exposure: The Hidden Victims of Asbestos

Many residents of the City of Palacios live in homes or work in public buildings constructed before the EPA’s first major move to ban spray-on asbestos in 1973. If you are a plumber, electrician, or HVAC mechanic performing renovations on old homes in the historic sections of Palacios, you are at risk every time you sand localized joint compound (“mud”) or cut into floor tiles.

Even more tragic is the phenomenon of Secondary or Take-Home Exposure. For decades, refinery and shipyard workers in Matagorda County came home with their denim work shirts and pants coated in a fine, white “dust.” Their wives would shake those clothes out before putting them in the laundry, or their children would hug them as soon as they walked through the door.

Those family members were inhaling concentrated asbestos fibers without ever setting foot on a job site. Today, we are seeing a wave of mesothelioma diagnoses in wives and adult children because of this “second-hand” poisoning. The corporate manufacturers knew this was a risk as early as the 1960s but failed to provide shower facilities or industrial laundering for their workers. We hold them accountable for the injury to the entire family. If you’ve been diagnosed and never worked in a plant, your spouse’s or parent’s work history is the key.

Exposing the Corporate Playbook: The Sumner Simpson Letters and Active Concealment

The most infuriating part of toxic exposure litigation is the proof that it was all preventable. In 1935, the president of Raybestos-Manhattan, Sumner Simpson, wrote a letter to the attorney for Johns-Manville, stating: “I think the less said about asbestos, the better off we are.” The reply from Vandiver Brown was equally damning: “I quite agree with you… our interests are best served by having as little publicity as possible.”

For the next 40 years, these companies and others like them conspired to suppress medical research, threatened scientists who spoke out, and hid the results of their own internal health studies. They knew their products were killing the very people who were building the American dream. This history of “Active Concealment” is the legal foundation for Punitive Damages—awards designed to punish the defendant and ensure they never do it again.

When we bring a case before a jury in Matagorda County or the federal court in Victoria, we don’t just talk about your illness. We show the jury those letters. We show them the Monsanto Papers, where executives ghost-wrote studies to show Roundup was “safe” while their own toxicologists expressed concern. We show them the 3M internal memos about PFAS bioaccumulation in human blood. We turn your case into a referendum on corporate ethics.

Matagorda County Resource Guide: Where to Find Help in the City of Palacios

If you have received a devastating diagnosis, your priority must be medical care. Our firm works with the leading medical specialists in Texas to ensure our clients get the best possible treatment. You are fortunate to be in proximity to some of the world’s most renowned centers:

• MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston): Consistently ranked #1 in the nation for cancer care. They have a specialized mesothelioma program and are a global leader in leukemia treatment (AML/MDS). https://www.mdanderson.org
• UTMB Health Galveston: The nearest major academic medical center, with extensive expertise in pulmonary disease and occupational health. https://www.utmbhealth.com
• Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health (UTHealth Houston): One of only a handful of NIOSH-funded research centers focused on documenting and treating industrial disease. https://sph.uth.edu/research/centers/scoeh/
• National Cancer Institute (NCI): Provides a portal for finding active clinical trials for rare cancers like mesothelioma. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/clinical-trials/search

Getting an evaluation from a NIOSH-certified “B Reader” radiologist or a board-certified occupational medicine specialist is the gold standard for your legal case. These doctors don’t just treat you; they provide the “Expert Witness” testimony that links your disease to the specific chemicals you breathed at work.

Common Questions for City of Palacios Victims and Families (FAQ)

I was only exposed to asbestos for three months back in the 70s. Can that really cause mesothelioma?

Yes. Both the EPA and OSHA have concluded that there is no “safe” level of asbestos exposure. While higher cumulative doses increase the risk, even brief, high-intensity exposures—such as an emergency repair on a lagging steam line or a short-term demolition project—have been documented to cause mesothelioma decades later. The dose-response relationship is clear, but a single “trigger” event is often all it takes to start the malignant transformation in the mesothelial lining.

My employer told me that if I file a toxic exposure claim, it will bankrupt the company and everyone will lose their jobs. Is this true?

This is a common “scare tactic” used by management to discourage litigation. In the vast majority of cases, the claims are paid by the company’s insurers or through established bankruptcy trust funds that were funded decades ago for this exact purpose. Furthermore, federal and state whistleblower laws prohibit employers from retaliating against workers who exercise their legal rights. If your employer threatens your job because you are sick, that is an additional legal claim we can pursue.

If I receive a settlement from an asbestos trust fund, will it be deducted from my VA disability check?

No. VA disability benefits and civil legal settlements are entirely separate systems. Pursuing a legal claim against the companies that manufactured the toxic products used by the military does not affect your eligibility for service-connected disability. In fact, we often work with veterans to use the evidence from their VA files to strengthen their civil cases.

What is the average mesothelioma settlement in Matagorda County?

Every case is unique, and past results do not guarantee future outcomes. However, industry averages for mesothelioma settlements generally range from $1 million to $1.4 million, with trial verdicts often reaching between $5 million and $11.4 million. Factors that influence the value of your case include the duration of your exposure, the number of identifiable manufacturers/defendants, your remaining life expectancy, and the impact of the disease on your family members.

Does Attorney 911 charge an upfront fee?

No. We work on a contingency fee basis. This means we advance all the costs of the litigation—which can be substantial, including tens of thousands of dollars for expert witnesses, medical record retrieval, and industrial hygiene reports. You pay nothing unless and until we successfully recover money for you. If we don’t win, you owe us zero. This removes the financial barrier, allowing City of Palacios families to have the same high-caliber legal representation as a billion-dollar corporation.

Hablamos Español?

Sí. El abogado Lupe Peña es bilingue y nuestra oficina está preparada para ayudar a las familias que prefieren hablar en español. Creemos que el idioma nunca debe ser una barrera para la justicia. Su estatus migratorio no afecta sus derechos legales si ha sido lesionado o expuesto a sustancias tóxicas en el trabajo.

Strategic Timing: Why You Must Act Now in the City of Palacios

Waiting is the best friend of a corporate defendant. With every month that passes after your diagnosis:

• Scientific Evidence Degrades: Former job sites are demolished or remediated, destroying physical proof of exposure.
• Witnesses Disappear: Your former co-workers, the ones who know exactly how much dust was in the air in 1982, are retiring, moving, or passing away themselves.
• Trust Fund Percentages Drop: Asbestos bankruptcy trusts have finite assets. As more claims are filed, the “payment percentage” (the amount of each dollar owed that you actually receive) can be lowered by the trust administrators. Locking in your claim now ensures you get the highest possible percentage.
• Corporate Shell Games: Defendants frequently use mergers, acquisitions, and “Texas Two-Step” bankruptcies to spin off their liabilities into shell companies with no assets. Filing your lawsuit now prevents you from being left with a “judgment-proof” defendant.

Ralph Manginello explains the litigation timeline and what to expect during a legal claim in this podcast episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/8babce5d. Don’t let the corporations use time as a weapon against you.

The Final Choice: Resilience Over Betrayal

The City of Palacios was built on hard work and the resilience of its people. We have survived hurricanes, economic shifts, and the daily dangers of life on the water and in the plants. But surviving a toxic exposure diagnosis requires more than just resilience—it requires a fighter who knows the arena.

The corporations that exposed you have teams of lawyers whose only job is to protect the company’s bottom line. They will minimize your story, they will pathologize your pain, and they will try to offer you pennies for a life’s worth of work and breath. At Attorney 911, we exist to level that playing field. We bring the scientific evidence, the regulatory authority of the OSHA standards, and the insider knowledge of the insurance industry to bear on every case.

We aren’t just your lawyers; we are your advocates in a system that was designed to be difficult. From the initial work history interview to the final settlement check, we handle the legal burden so you can focus on your health and your family. We are proud to serve the City of Palacios, Matagorda County, and the entire Texas Gulf Coast.

If you are ready to take the first step toward accountability, we are ready to stand with you. Call 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911) today for a free consultation. There is no obligation, no upfront cost, and total confidentiality. The companies that knew and the companies that hid the truth shouldn’t get away with it. Let’s start your fight today.

Attorney 911 / The Manginello Law Firm
Principal Office: Houston, Texas
Serving the City of Palacios, Matagorda County, and Workers Nationwide.
Phone: 1-888-ATTY-911
Website: https://attorney911.com

This information is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical or legal advice. Every case is unique and subject to different facts and local laws. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Results-vary disclaimer applies to all mentioned settlement and verdict ranges.

Detailed FAQ: Toxic Exposure and Dangerous Industry Rights in Matagorda County

Q: Can I sue for benzene exposure if I was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS)?
A: Yes. MDS is a recognized precursor to Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and is frequently caused by bone marrow toxicity from benzene. Because benzene is a highly volatile chemical found in crude oil and gasoline, workers in the Palacios area who handled refined products or worked in process units have significant risk. Evidence of “cytogenetic abnormalities,” such as chromosome 5 or 7 deletions, can provide strong medical proof of chemical causation. OSHA’s 1 ppm PEL for benzene is often cited as a benchmark for negligence. https://www.osha.gov/benzene

Q: My father died of lung cancer but he was a heavy smoker. Is his estate ineligible for an asbestos claim?
A: Absolutely not. According to the “Helsinki Criteria,” a medical and scientific standard used in courts, smoking and asbestos have a SYNERGISTIC effect. While smoking increases lung cancer risk, asbestos exposure increases it by 5 times. When you combine them, the risk multiplies to 50 or 90 times the baseline. This means the asbestos made the smoking-related risk far more lethal. We regularly successfully litigate cases for smokers by proving their occupational exposure was a “substantial factor” in their illness.

Q: What is the “exclusive remedy” rule in Texas workers’ comp, and how do we get around it?
A: Generally, if your employer provides workers’ comp, you cannot sue them directly for a simple accident. However, there are two major ways around this:

1. Third-Party Claims: You can still sue the manufacturers of the toxic chemicals, the company that installed the asbestos insulation, or the contractor who built the faulty scaffold.
2. Gross Negligence: In Texas, if an employer’s conduct was “grossly negligent” (meaning they knew of an extreme risk and ignored it), the family of a deceased worker can still sue for punitive damages under the Texas Constitution.

Q: Can I file a claim for PFAS contamination in the City of Palacios water?
A: Many coastal communities near military bases or industrial firefighting training grounds have documented PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in the groundwater. These “forever chemicals” map to kidney and testicular cancer. Active multidistrict litigation (MDL 2873) is currently processing thousands of these claims. If Matagorda County water tests reveal levels above the EPA’s new 4 ppt limit, you may have a claim against the manufacturers of the AFFF firefighting foam. https://www.epa.gov/pfas

Q: How does a “B Reader” help my asbestosis case?
A: A NIOSH-certified B Reader is a physician (usually a radiologist or pulmonologist) who has passed a rigorous examination demonstrating they can identify the specific patterns of lung scarring caused by mineral dust. Their interpretation of your chest X-ray using the “ILO Classification” system is given high deference in court and is often the deciding factor in whether an asbestosis or silicosis claim is approved.

Q: I worked on the railroad lines that run through Matagorda County. Am I covered by the Jones Act?
A: No, you are covered by FELA—the Federal Employers’ Liability Act. FELA is unique because it uses a “relaxed” causation standard. You only have to prove the railroad’s negligence played a “part, no matter how small” in your injury. This is a much lower burden of proof than a standard car accident case.

Final Verification and Contact

If you have been told “it’s too late” or “it’s just old age,” get a second opinion from a firm that understands the scientific reality of toxic exposure. We have been fighting these corporate giants for 27+ years. We know their experts, we know their documents, and we know how to win.

Call Attorney 911 at 1-888-ATTY-911. We answer 24/7 because your legal emergency doesn’t wait for business hours. Join the families across Texas who have found their voice with Ralph Manginello and his team.

Results-vary disclaimer: $2.1 billion project mentioned pertains to a larger litigation team in which Ralph Manginello was a participant. Individual case results depend on specific facts. Past success is no guarantee of future recovery. Principal office: Houston, TX.