Tag: asbestos

Asbestos is a mineral compound once famous for its heat-resistant qualities.  The ancient Greeks called it the miracle mineral because of its soft pliability and its strong resistance to heat.  They christened the mineral asbestos, which means inextinguishable.

Throughout the ages, asbestos has been prized for its extremely effective insulating qualities as well as its resistance to damage from chemicals and electricity.  It is excellent for soundproofing, possesses a high tensile strength, and can be used to manufacture all sorts of products and building materials used in industry and the home.

Asbestos is composed of long, fibrous crystals that are remarkably lightweight and easy to adapt to many industrial uses.

The mineral was once widely used in the building industry for insulation, siding and roofing shingles.  These building materials produced homes, schools, hospitals, churches, and many other public and private buildings whose manufacture spanned at least 100 years.

 Almost every industry and the military used it for electrical insulation.  The automotive industry made brake shoes and gaskets with it.

In the home, flame-retardant fabrics made from asbestos were made into draperies, upholstery, carpeting, bedding, and clothing.  Electrical ovens and other heat-producing appliances were insulated with asbestos.

In spite of its many uses, there is one incredibly tragic problem with asbestos.  Those long, lightweight crystals become airborne during the manufacturing process, entering the lungs and respiratory passages of anyone in the vicinity.

And anyone doing the laundry or cleaning up after someone who has worked with the substance is at risk, too.  So are people who handle the fabrics made from asbestos.

Those airborne particles lead to a crippling respiratory condition known as asbestosis, which often progresses to mesothelioma, a deadly cancer that attacks the lining of the lungs, heart, and abdominal cavity.

The link between asbestos and deadly mesothelioma were known as long ago as 1898 but manufacturers were unwilling at that time to find alternative materials or safeguard workers’ health.

The first lawsuit filed against a manufacturer of asbestos products didn’t happen until 1929.  Since then, asbestos attorneys and their clients have fought long and hard for safer working conditions and safer products.

Asbestos attorneys have been working with exposure cases around the world since the 1960s.  As a result of their efforts, the use of asbestos has been virtually eliminated in the industrialized world.

Unfortunately, the hazard of asbestos is insidious, with symptoms of exposure often remaining hidden for decades.  By the time diagnosis is made, the patient is often too close to death for any form of treatment other than comfort care.

Even with the halted use of the mineral, asbestos attorneys remain very active, working on the behalf of ill employees seeking restitution and medical care from the employers who used asbestos.

No longer as famous for its heat-resistant qualities as for its deadly consequences, asbestos remains in the news and controversial.

Manufacturers have billions of dollars allocated for assistance to stricken employees but they are reluctant to release payment without tenacious intervention by the patients’ asbestos attorneys.

Asbestos attorneys stay busy fighting objections to medical diagnoses, degree of culpability, and allocation of monetary awards.

Many years ago, a popular building material called asbestos was found to cause cancer and other illnesses, and those who are affected by such diseases will often seek the legal advice of an asbestos law firm. Before it was banned in the mid 1980s, asbestos was widely used in commercial and residential buildings, because it is a good insulator. It can be found in insulation blankets, fireproofing, stoves, joint compound, vinyl tiles, and many other products made before the ban.

There are several different diseases caused by asbestos, though the average asbestos law firm deals largely with the most common illness, which is called mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that is almost exclusively associated with exposure to asbestos. This disease is characterized by the formation of malignant tumors on the mesothelium, which is a coating that covers most of the internal organs, shielding them from harm. Often, mesothelioma attacks the lungs first, and then proceeds to the rest of the organs if it is not treated.

Other diseases that an asbestos law firm may handle include asbestos warts, pleural plaques, and diffuse pleural thickening. Asbestos warts are growths that form around pieces of asbestos that have lodged into the skin, and they are not malignant in nature. Pleural plaques and diffuse pleural thickening are both characterized by benign growths on the surfaces of the lungs. While pleural plaques do not cause any harm to the person affected by the illness, diffuse pleural thickening can possibly have an ill effect on the function of the lungs, and may reduce a person’s overall quality of life.

The goal of any asbestos law firm is to provide people who suffer from such illnesses with some form of compensation that will help to alleviate the financial, physical, and emotional effects of the condition. There are many firms that specialize in the litigation of such cases. When selecting among them, one should research the previous cases handled by the particular asbestos law firm, the percentage of favorable judgments, and the fees associated with the processing of the case.

If you have been diagnosed with Mesothelioma, then you may want to consider speaking with an asbestos lawyer. Mesothelioma is a form of lung cancer that is a direct response from exposure to asbestos.  Unfortunately, Mesothelioma doesn’t develop until many decades after the initial exposure.  Therefore, there are many people who are suffering or just being diagnosed with Mesothelioma today, as a response to their exposure many years ago.  An asbestos lawyer can help you determine if the conditions regarding your acquiring Mesothelioma warrant legal action, and if so, they can represent you.

The symptoms of Mesothelioma include shortness of breath, labored breathing, pain in the chest, wheezing, loss of appetite, losing weight, dry cough, being easily fatigued, and fever.  If you have any of these symptoms, you should see your health care provider immediately.

Today, many people have recovered damages and won lawsuits thanks to the hard work performed by lawyers.  If you think your case may warrant civil damages, then you should contact an asbestos lawyer immediately.

An asbestos lawyer may represent someone other than the person who was diagnosed with Mesothelioma.  For instance, if a widower lost her husband to Mesothelioma, she may be able to recover damages for her husband’s death.  She should consider speaking to an asbestos lawyer as well.

An asbestos lawyer will look into your situation and will ask the questions regarding why your or your spouse were not forewarned that the dangers of working with asbestos were great.  If negligence is found and can be proved, then you and your spouse deserve to be compensated.  Mesothelioma is a life threatening condition that is very painful and greatly affects the sufferer’s quality of life.  A qualified and experienced Mesothelioma or asbestos attorney can help you through the legal aspect of your case, and assist your claim in receiving financial compensation for your damages.

If you have had or currently have lung problems that you believe are attributed due to exposure to asbestos you should contact an asbestos lawyer to see if there is any legal action you can take to reimburse you for your health issues.  Asbestos lawyers and asbestos in general is sometimes brushed off as money hungry people looking for a quick buck.  The truth is however is that asbestos is a very serious health risk.  Studies have shown than even only 1 to 5 years of exposure put you at a 17% risk of lung disease.  The lung disease most often affiliated with asbestos is called mesothelioma which is unfortunately a very aggressive cancer than is general fatal.

Often asbestos litigation is successful for the person exposed to asbestos due to the asbestos company hid facts about asbestos and just how deadly it is.  W.R. Grace was an asbestos company in particular that withheld an internal study that showed the horrifying truth behind asbestos.  Their study showed that people with 21 to 25 years of experience with the company had a 92% chance of having lung disease.  It’s findings like these that give asbestos lawyers the information they need to help win cases to help repay people for their losses.

It’s been said that asbestos litigation is the largest mass tort in US history valued at over $250 billion dollars with over 600,000 claimants.  Due to this single field being so large there are many specialized asbestos lawyers who know asbestos law inside and out and are able to put together a very firm case.  Unfortunately the number of asbestos related disease is expected to rise in the next decade even though the risks of asbestos has been well know in the past few decades and it’s use has been severely limited.

Depending on your exposure to asbestos, you may be eligible to file a legal claim against an asbestos manufacturer.   There are generally two ways to be exposed to dangerous asbestos levels: in your home and in your work.  If you have worked with asbestos, an asbestos claim could potentially be quite successful. Asbestos claim cases represent the largest single issue in litigation today.  

People have known for centuries that overexposure to asbestos causes disease.  Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous mineral that has been used for  hundreds of years for its fire-resistant properties.  However, given the universal and historic awareness of the health hazards posed by asbestos, any individual suffering from asbestos-related problems like mesothelioma probably has a good case against an asbestos manufacturer.  In some states, there may be a statue of limitations after which it’s not possible to file suit against an asbestos manufacturer, so it’s best to investigate your asbestos claim options soon after finding out a mesothelioma diagnosis.

If  you have worked with asbestos, or if there’s asbestos in your home, you may be able to make claims against your employer and/or the asbestos manufacturer, depending on your situation.

If you have asbestos in your home, you may not be aware of it, as asbestos can take many forms. But asbestos was used in siding, insulation, and other building materials. Finding pictures of asbestos may help you determine if a material is asbestos or not; but sometimes perfectly harmless building materials can also look like asbestos.  Have a professional test it to confirm the material’s presence before filing an asbestos claim, and remember: asbestos removal is hazardous and should be left to professionals who will seal off and thoroughly clean the affected area.  Do not increase your exposure by attempting to remove it yourself.

Asbestos is a building material and was used in all parts of manufacturing. Many materials, such as fiberglass insulation, were developed to replace asbestos, but companies that used asbestos ignored the safer alternatives because of their cost. Asbestos is similar to tobacco in that it was a known carcinogen and corporate executives ignored the danger in order to fatten their wallets. Asbestos is much more dangerous than cigarette smoke and the victims were largely exploited workers who were unaware of the serious health risks they faced everyday.  The first asbestos law suit was filed in 1929 and the first mesothelioma-related asbestos law suit was filed in the United States in 1966. Although this case was lost, another asbestos law suit was filed immediately for a co-worker of the first plaintiff and the plaintiff was awarded $80,000 for his victory. 

In 1973, The Environmental Protection Agency banned the use of spray-on asbestos insulation as an air pollutant hazard but it wasn’t until 1979 that all uses of asbestos were abandoned and the materials were banned altogether.  In 1978, an asbestos plant manager divulged that the policy in his company was not to discuss chest findings or other medical results suggesting a relationship between asbestos and mesothelioma.  Because of this, a number of documents emerged clearly demonstrating fraud and conspiracy showing that as early as the 1930s, companies had made direct efforts to hide the dangers of asbestos from their workers.

Even as late as 1999, courts were finding that companies has disregarded the effects their use of asbestos were having on their workers and kept its’ use a secret until discovered by the federal courts.  Most of the asbestos companies have since gone bankrupt and the federal government has set aside funds for any victims and their families who have yet to file an asbestos law suit claim monetary compensation for their exposure to asbestos.

Mesothelioma is a form of lung cancer that is a direct result from being exposed to asbestos.  If you have been diagnosed with Mesothelioma, you may need an asbestos attorney.  An asbestos attorney can help you with your case and help you seek and recover any damages that are owed to you.

Since Mesothelioma is caused by asbestos, if you have been diagnosed with Mesothelioma, then it is a fact that you were exposed to asbestos.  If this was on your job, your employer may be liable for allowing you to be exposed to this harmful toxin in the first place.  An asbestos attorney will look over your case and help you determine if any wrongdoing was performed.  If it is determined that your employer did not act according to law, your asbestos attorney will agree to take your case and represent you.

An asbestos attorney can help you if you have been diagnosed with Mesothelioma, however they can also assist those whose loved ones may have died as a result of having Mesothelioma.  If you’ve lost a loved one to Mesothelioma, then you may want to consider contacting an asbestos attorney as well.  An attorney can help you recover any damages that you are entitled to, due to the fact that your loved one succumbed to Mesothelioma.

Since Mesothelioma usually appears decades after the initial exposure to asbestos, it is important to contact an attorney to handle your case.   There will need to be a lot of information provided regarding former employers, work history, and a detailed health screening to make certain where the exposure to asbestos first took place. Once these facts are established, an attorney can help you decide the best course of action to take.  Should you need to recover damages, your attorney will guide you through every step of the way.

When you buy a new home, one of the worst things you can discover after moving in is asbestos insulation in your walls or on your pipes.  Asbestos disposal is an expensive job to have done, and is very difficult to do on your own.  The reason why asbestos is not good to find is because of the serious harm it can do to your lungs when inhaled.  When disturbed, asbestos breaks into thousands upon thousands of virtually weightless strands which float through the air.  When inhaled, these strands can cause lung disease, and in particular mesothelioma, a very aggressive cancer of the abdomen, which is generally fatal.

If you find what you suspect to be asbestos you should make care not to touch or disturb the asbestos in any way.  Asbestos gets very brittle and can easily break apart.  You should call an asbestos disposal company as soon as possible so they can give you their professional opinion on how to remove it.

Sometimes asbestos shouldn’t even be removed at all.  Instead it can be encapsulated with another substance to prevent the asbestos from breaking apart and floating into the air.  While encapsulating the asbestos doesn’t remove it all together, it does limit the danger it can post.  In the long run though, the asbestos will have to be dealt with.

When you hire a professional asbestos disposal company they will probably begin with a thorough inspection to see just how much asbestos is involved.  When they first begin extracting the asbestos they will wear face masks to prevent the asbestos from entering their lungs.  After removing all of the large pieces they will wash the surfaces in which the asbestos was attached to remove any stray pieces.  To be thorough, some asbestos disposal companies then repaint or reseal the surface to cover any last traces of the asbestos.

Many people who have worked on older homes or in older buildings are acutely aware of asbestos exposure and the problems and heartache that can occur to to exposure to this product. For those people who do not commonly work in old spaces, asbestos exposure might not be a commonly used phrase.  You might wonder what, exactly, asbestos is. 

Asbestos is actually the phrase used to describe several minerals that are produced naturally in the environment in bundles of fibers that are often spread thin to create thin, strong threads. These natural fibers were a great product for builders to use because the asbestos fibers were resistant to fire, heat, and chemicals, and didn’t conduct electricity. For a long time, it was believed that asbestos was a great product to use in construction because of all of its great features. However, over time, scientist learned that the asbestos that can be emitted into the environment can be extremely dangerous and toxic.

 Asbestos exposure can cause a lot of damage for people that have been exposed to this product. Asbestos exposure can lead to the development of malignant mesothelioma which is extremely dangerous and often deadly. Asbestos exposure can also cause diseases such as lung cancer, asbestos, and pleural disease.  During WWII and the few decades following, asbestos was used commonly throughout many industries, causing many people to be subjected to asbestos exposure and therefor be subjected to many of the awful diseases that have come about because of this asbestos exposure.

Ever since it was discovered that asbestos exposure can pose serious health problems, the FDA has banded the use of the product. People have also made conscious efforts to remove all asbestos still present in older homes and buildings, so that the danger of asbestos exposure can be eliminated.

Asbestos is a product that was commonly used in the construction of many homes and buildings in the mid 1900s, and was discovers in the 1970s to be a dangerous carcinogen, and was banned from further use in construction products and any other form of use.  Asbestos was used frequently because it was fire resistant, heat safe, and did not conduct electricity.  Because of these features, the product seemed great for building and construction purposes. While asbestos was not used in building and construction after the 1970s, the product was, and still is, around everywhere is many old buildings.  Because asbestos can cause serious illnesses such as mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis, it is important that asbestos training is done on the safe removal of the product so that the homeowners or building occupants do not have to come in contact with product and are not put at risk for contracting these diseases.

Asbestos training teaches professionals how to remove the asbestos from whatever casing it is lying in, such as walling or flooring.  With out the proper asbestos training, small fibers from the old asbestos could become airborne, and create huge health risks for the people living in the home. 

Another thing to think about when removing asbestos is that the asbestos training is done by licensed professionals.  Asbestos is so dangerous, that if someone is trained by an agency that is not licensed in proper asbestos removal, they can not insure that all of the small fibers will be removed.  With the proper asbestos removal done by professionals who have received asbestos training, homeowners and building occupants can rest easy knowing that they are not in any danger of getting mesothelioma or lung cancer that could have been caused by the carcinogenic asbestos product.  Asbestos is a dangerous product, but when properly taken care of, it can easily be tamed.